Persona Z Golden
by Dante Heller
Summary: Gohan moves to Satan City to attend Orange Star High. However, his journey takes a very unexpected turn upon arriving.
1. Prologue

**Persona Z Golden**

 **In Medias Res**

A sharp blow hit Gohan in the chest before he was sent soaring through the air. His vision shook as he hit the ground hard, shaking himself from the near concussion as the battle raged around him, several figures moving in unison. "Gohan!" A voice shouted to him as long blond hair whipped around and he was pulled to his feet before a red light engulfed them both.

 **Prologue**

Gohan jolted awake as the train passed into a dark tunnel, the orange lights passed by quickly as he woke up properly.

A little girl, about nine years old, lay fast asleep next to him dressed in traditional Japanese attire. Her dark pigtailed hair reached her shoulders while her head rested against Gohan's arm.

Gohan smiled at her as he took out his train ticket, reading today's date; _April 7th, Age 774_ and destined for Satan City, his home for the next year living with his non-biological uncle, Yamcha, who worked as a detective for the Satan City Police Department.

Just then, the in-train entertainment system, more commonly known as the train's Television, turned on to show a commercial of a young Idol with long red hair that curled at the end, her attire was that of a bikini while she sipped from a Capsule Corp Energy Drink.

"Hi, all…" The Idol said cheerfully with a smile and wink to the camera. "The summer's coming up soon and I for one can't wait to go to the beach with a refreshing can of Capsule Corporation's new and improved Pickle-Oh-Up energy drink, now able to give you that extra kick you need to get your bodies down to the beach and have some fun."

She gave a giggle and waved to the camera before the commercial ended and the scheduled program, the six P.M. news, returned to the screen.

"And now back to our regularly scheduled program…" The reporter began as he fixed his notes properly. "It seems our very own King Furry has been implicated in a scandal with his wife and a reporter, Miss Razio Racorde…"

The reporter's voice trailed away from Gohan's attention as the young girl stirred slightly and rubbed her right eye with the back of her hand sleepily as she woke up. "Are we almost there?" she yawned.

Gohan pocketed the train ticket. "Almost Chiyori, we should be there after this tunnel." He patted her cute little head, smiling as she pouted and blushed.

The train emerged from the tunnel to reveal the large busy buildings of Satan City. Chiyori looked out in awe at the large skyscrapers, having lived out in the country all her life, the sight must have been a shock to her with all the infrastructure and bustling streets of cars.

Gohan let out an internal sigh as he remembered why he came here with her. Recalling his mother sobbing slightly as she gave them their suitcases, happily seeing them off at the train station and reminding Gohan not to get into trouble as he studied in his first year at his new, and very first school, Orange Star High.

"Now, Gohan, I want ya ta take good care of you and your sister, do ya understand?" Chi-Chi ordered affectionately back home as she dusted off his shoulders gently.

Goten hugged Chiyori and beamed up at his brother. "When I grow up, I'm gonna go to Satan City too!" He announced proudly.

"Ha-ha, Goten, I'm gonna go before ya." Chiyori teased her little brother before sticking her tongue out.

"Now, now, you two, no fightin' on your brother's big day." Chi-Chi reminded them before turning back to her presentable son. "Now, Yamcha's gonna be waitin' for ya at the train station in Satan City, be on your best behavior…" Chi-Chi gave a small sniffle.

Gohan chuckled. "Mom, we'll be okay. I promise."

Chi-Chi shook slightly, her voice quivering. "I… I know… But my little boy's all grown up and flyin' the nest… Soon you'll want ta start dating an' I can't do anythin' to keep ya the same sweet little boy ya were before…"

Gohan practically froze up at his mother mentioning dating before he held her close. "Aw, mom, I'm still your little boy, nothing will change that… Not even if I am five foot nine inches and taller than you."

Chi-Chi giggled slightly at his small attempt to cheer her up.

"That's right, Momma, I'll kick all 'em city girlie's who come lookin' for Gohan." Chiyori interjected with a display of her somewhat lacking martial arts moves.

"And I'll do the same with the city boy's for Chiyo." Gohan said innocently with a grin.

"Will not!" Chiyori pouted with crossed arms and a cute yet angry face.

The other three laughed gently at Chiyori's outburst.

"Gohan! Do ya think they have a Julays here?" Chiyori asked in wonder on the train.

"They better have, or Satan City will have to face the Great Chiyo's wrath…" Gohan teased with a chuckle.

Chiyori pouted again.

Gohan pulled out his flip phone and read Yamcha's text. ' _Meet you at the station at ten past six_.' He looked at his phone's internal clock to see they have five minutes left.

"Come on, Chiyo, I see the station." Gohan informed her.

Chiyori jumped off the chair excitedly before trying to reach the compartment above her but failing as her short body barely reached.

Gohan stood up and easily opened their luggage compartment, handing Chiyori her two suitcases and taking his into his hands. They then began making their way to the exit and waited.

As they waited, a sharp pain shot through Gohan's head. Blurry images of a struggling person flashed in his mind. However, as quickly as they came, they were gone again.

"Are ya okay, Gohan?" Chiyori asked worriedly, helping her brother regain his footing.

Gohan gave a short nod, letting her know he was fine. As he stood up, he pondered what had just happened. 'Who was that person?' He thought quietly.

The two walked out of the train station before looking around.

"Is he here yet?" Chiyori asked excitedly as she stood on her toes to look over the heads of the busy street.

Gohan easily scanned the area, noticing a tall man just over his own height waving to them. His attire was that of a black suit with cherry red tie, gray shirt, brown jeans and sleek shoes with his long black hair hanging untamed down his back and scarred face bearing a prominent five o' clock shadow.

They watched as he walked up to them, his left hand tucked into his pocket. "Wow, looks like you got more handsome over the years." Yamcha said with a grin. "Great to see you again, Gohan." He held out his right hand and Gohan took it, feeling his firm grasp in his palm.

It was then that Yamcha noticed Chiyori hiding behind Gohan's leg, her shy eyes widened and blushed as she turned away from Yamcha's eyes.

"Hey, is that little Son Chiyori I see?" Yamcha asked as he leaned to the side to look at the shy girl. "Last time I saw you, you could fit right in my forearm."

Chiyori gave out a shy squeak as she blushed deeper.

"Chiyo, don't be rude…" Gohan turned to her. "Say hi to Yamcha."

Chiyori's eyes looked up from her hanging, pouting head, holding her hands behind her back and rubbing her ankle with her adjacent foot. "H- Hello, Mister Yamcha…" She said with her deep blush, her country accent now hidden by a shy, city accent she had been practicing.

Yamcha smiled with joy. "Aw, she's cute, and looks just like her mother when she was younger." He held out his hand to Chiyori. "Welcome to Satan City, you'll be staying at my place while you attend Orange Star Middle School."

Hesitantly, Chiyori took his hand and stiffened at his touch. Instantly, her other hand shot to Gohan's hand, grasping it hard.

"Ah! Chiyori! Too tight!" Gohan groaned as his fingers became cut from his blood flow.

"S- Sorry!" Chiyori stuttered before taking both her hands away. "I… I'll just grab my things…"

With that, she took her suitcase into both her hands and hid her burning red face behind her teddy bear.

Yamcha turned back to Gohan. "In any case, we should get going, my cars parked nearby." He turned and started jogging to catch up to Chiyori.

Gohan began following Yamcha before bumping into someone.

"Oh, sorry…" Gohan apologized hastily to the dark haired teen, her pigtails reaching down to her chest.

"Would you watch where you're-" She began before stopping and stooping down. When she rose to her feet, she held a photo of a young boy flanked by a spiky dark haired, muscular man and a smiling woman with her hair in a tight bun, in front of him beaming into the camera stood his younger sister with her hair in a ponytail.

The girl held out the photo. "You dropped this…" she informed him.

Gohan blushed lightly before taking it back, politely thanking her with a bow and watched as she walked away.

A while later, Yamcha's car pulled up to a nearby gas station near the heart of the city.

"Alright, everyone out for a moment, you can go buy a snack if you want from the store inside." Yamcha informed them as he looked over his shoulder with a smile.

Chiyori swung her door open and jumped out as a gray haired gas attendant walked up to them.

"Good day…" The teenage girl greeted politely with a smile to Yamcha as Gohan climbed out of the vehicle. "Are you taking a trip?"

"Nah just got back from the train station collecting these two…" He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Chiyori and Gohan. "Just a quick fill-'er-up is all she needs." Yamcha motioned to the car.

Chiyori tugged on Gohan's pants, causing him to turn to her. "I need to go potty…" She murmured uncomfortably.

Gohan nodded and took her hand, motioning to Yamcha what they were doing.

Yamcha nodded in return.

Gohan waited outside the girl's restroom for Chiyori to finish in the rest room.

As he stood there, the gas assistant walked up to him. "So, you're a country boy, huh?" She asked.

Gohan froze up slightly at her bluntness, giving a small nod to confirm her question.

"Are you in high school?" She asked.

Again, Gohan nodded slightly.

"Not much of a talker, huh?" She pointed out before smiling. "No worries, it's common for someone from the country to get overwhelmed straight away from the city. Don't fret so much; once you settle in, you'll be fine. Hell, you may even want to get some friends early or get a part time job to see how things work here. We have an opening here if you're interested." She gave him a different smile this time, almost fondly.

She held out her hand. "Just… Give it some thought, okay? We don't mind if you're a student."

Gohan smiled and took her hand, noticing that so far, both people who shook his hand had firm grips.

"So, um…" She pushed her hair back behind her ear. "Do you want me to give you my num-?"

At that moment, Chiyori opened the door, cutting the girl off as she announced; "I'm finished."

With an awkward smile and a faint blush, the girl backed away, her hands behind her back. "Well… I'll see you around, consider my advice, okay?"

And with that, she turned the corner and disappeared.

"Hey, you okay?" Yamcha asked as Gohan and Chiyori approached him, his question directed to Gohan.

"I don't know, that girl… she…" Gohan began.

"Oh, Chrysta? Ah, don't mind her; she just has some trouble around boys her age. Come on, it's almost sundown and we still need to get home and get you two unpacked."

With that, the three entered the fully fueled car and drove through the city.

They arrived at Yamcha's quaint home and became acquainted with its studio-like setup, a kitchen and dining room sat in the left corner next to the living room with a wide square oak chabudai in the center and medium flat screen television in the corner, a sliding glass screen led to the backyard next to the chabudai.

The two country kids then went to their separate clean, prepared rooms and unpacked.

Gohan's room contained a work table in the right far corner, study table and couch next to the window overlooking the city. A futon lay on the floor at the back left of the room next to a small TV set facing the couch.

After some time, they walked out to see Yamcha sitting on a zabuton at his chabudai.

The siblings joined him, sitting on their own zabutons either side of Yamcha.

"Let's have a toast." Yamcha announced as they took up cups of orange juice from the chabudai. "Why don't you toast, Chiyori?" He asked with a smile to the young girl.

"Oh, um…" Chiyori murmured nervously before smiling and raising her glass. "To a fun year!" She announced happily.

The three drank to her toast.

Yamcha turned to Gohan as he placed his drink down. "So, your mom wanted you to study over here, huh? Strange, I thought she'd never let you out of her sight… Though, I guess she does put a considerable amount of care into your studies."

Gohan simply nodded.

"Well…" Yamcha continued with a smile. "It's just me here, so having some company would be a nice change of pace…" He gave a half hearted chuckle. Gohan noticed Yamcha's left ring finger twitch slightly at his own comment.

"As long as you two are here… You're family, so make yourselves at home." Yamcha finished.

He turned to look at Chiyori, who had been leaning on her arm, looking up at him with doe eyes.

Upon him turning, she hastily looked away, almost knocking over her glass before giving a nervous giggle.

Yamcha smiled unknowingly. "You guys must be hungry; I have some quick cook food in the refrigerator. I'll go whip it up for-"

Just then, Yamcha's cell phone rang.

"Who could be calling at this hour?" Gohan asked as he looked at the nearby clock, which had just gone past eight P.M.

Yamcha stood up as he answered the call. "Yamcha speaking… Oh Tien…" He said as the two siblings followed him with their eyes. "Mhh hm… Yeah… Alright, got it… Where is it? Alright… I'm on my way." He finished as he grabbed his coat hanging nearby.

He hung up and turned to the others. "Something came up… Sorry but I'll have to leave. The food's in the fridge; just follow the instructions. I dunno how late I'll be, so don't stay up too late, okay?"

Chiyori and Gohan nodded before watching Yamcha leave.

"I'll get the food." Chiyori murmured as she stood up.

"Hey, I sh-" Gohan began.

"Gohan, you can't cook!" Chiyori said bluntly as she put on an oversized apron on, stuffing the bottom inside its large pocket to be able to move her feet.

"Gohan? Can you put on the TV please?" Chiyori asked as she took out their dinner.

Gohan did as he was asked, presenting the weather report on the screen.

"…For this week. Next, let's take a look at the hourly breakdown of tomorrow's weather." The weather girl said. "With storm clouds moving in from the west, expect rain throughout the day tomorrow in most areas…"

"Aw, rain?" Chiyori pouted. "I wanted to go on an adventure…"

The TV switched to a different News Anchor. "And now for the local news…" He began. "Our diligent King Furry is under investigation due to an alleged affair with a female reporter. His wife revealed to this station that she will most likely pursue damages. In response, Herculean Eye has decided to cancel all of announcer Razio Racorde's televised appearances. Until allegations of an affair with King Furry are resolved, she'll remain off the air and out of the public eye."

"This is boring… Gohan, next channel please." Chiyori asked as she watched the food cook.

Gohan changed the channel and Chiyori spun around as a familiar voice spoke. "At Julays, everyday is customer appreciation day. Come see for yourself and browse our amazing products!"

"Everyday's great at your Julays." The familiar jingle played and Gohan smiled, knowing what came next.

"Everyday's great at your Julays." Chiyori sang happily.

Ten minutes later, the premade food was cooked and served with the two digging in.

Gohan kept quiet as he ate his sister's delicious cooking.

That night, Gohan lay on his futon with his hands under his head, softly breathing as his muscular chest rose and fell while he drifted off to sleep.

He awoke to a fog covered landscape. Quickly, he jumped to his feet and cast his gaze around, barely able to see through the thick mist.

"Do you seek the truth?" An unfamiliar voice spoke through the mist.

"Who's there?!" Gohan growled as he readied himself.

"If you desire truth, come and find me…" The voice spoke with purpose.

Gohan turned to see a portly silhouette floating in the distance.

"You have come seeking the truth?" It spoke in an odd accent, as if from a land not of Gohan's universe. "You must first enter the unknown world, only then will you find me and the path to the truth you so desire. However, do not take this invitation lightly; terrible consequences await the Seekers of Truth."

The silhouette began fading before the fog covered Gohan's eyesight and he awoke in his room. The sun had just begun to rise over the horizon, signaling the start of his school days.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **'Almost Midnight…'**

"Breakfast's ready!" Chiyori called from the kitchen as Gohan readied himself, putting on his school clothes before walking out.

"Good morning!" Chiyori greeted him happily. "Mister Yamcha didn't come back from work last night; he said he had to work overtime on a new case." She held out a plate with buttered toast. "Go on! Have some and walk out the door to start your anime high school adventure!" She giggled at Gohan's expression as he took a piece for himself before slinging his strap-pack over his shoulder.

As he walked down the rainy street to school after walking Chiyori to her middle school, the sound of a skateboard caught his attention.

He turned as a male teenager zoomed by him, long blonde hair blowing behind him. Gohan's eyes followed him as two female students walked nonchalantly in front of him from around the corner. "H- Hey!" The male called out before veering to the left, straight into a streetlight.

Gohan walked close to him.

"Oh come on!" The teen cried out as he picked up his skateboard, now split in two. "My mom's gonna kill me! I just got this thing! Oh shit! THE DISK!" He frantically began searching his pocket.

'Maybe I should leave him be…' Gohan thought as he walked on.

Arriving at the steps of Orange Star High, Gohan looked up to the entrance before taking a deep breath and walking inside.

The second class of the second floor was a lively area, students talked on tables and paper airplanes soared through the air as other students walked around freely.

Three rows from the teacher's desk sat three teens. One blinked her blue eyes as she placed a pen between her ear and hair before blowing absentmindedly up at her short blonde hair. Beside her, doodling nonsense in her notebook, sat the dark pigtailed girl Gohan had run into when he arrived in Satan City.

"Looks like Sharpner's out of it today, huh Erasa?" The pigtailed girl asked the blonde, both looked at the teen Gohan had witnessed crash on his way to school, who had his head laid out on his arms as he rested.

"He looks cute like that, Videl… like a big, buff, cuddly Teddy bear." Erasa smiled as she reached over and booped his nose, causing him to stir slightly and his nose twitched like a rabbit, causing Erasa to giggle.

"Anyone got a marker?" Videl asked with a devious smile.

Immediately, Sharpner sprang to a seating position, his blood red headphones shaking slightly around his neck, his gaze fixed on Videl. "I'm already having a bad day, I don't need this…" he said.

"Oh, cheer up, Sharpie." Erasa said with a cute smile, causing Sharpner to look away quickly.

"Our homeroom is Ingoro Moroono this year… We got the back end of the bat on this one." Sharpner groaned dramatically.

"Yeah, King Moron alright…" Erasa sadly stated as she took her pen and began nibbling at the end. "I heard he's so boring and kinda harsh in his teachings."

"Isn't there meant to be a transfer student coming today?" Videl asked bluntly, forcibly changing the subject.

"Yeah." Sharpner said excitedly. "I hope she's cute… Uh!" He suddenly turned pale as Erasa and Videl shot him looks. "I mean… No one could ever beat you girls in the looks department…" He gave a nervous chuckle as Erasa smiled again while Videl gave him a stern yet content look.

Sharpner checked his phone. "I'll have to cut class early, got a shift over at Julays to cover." He said absentmindedly as he looked at the blinking of his digital clock.

"What time?" Erasa leaned back in her chair to ask the question. "I have to help my dad with his business too. He's got a ton of numbers to sort through for his latest construction job. We can walk together."

The two conversed with each other as Videl continued doodling on her notebook. 'A transfer student… Hmm, I wonder who it could be…' She thought to herself.

Just as she asked that, the door opened as a black haired, light skinned, mustached man with dark framed, light tinted brow-line spectacles, walked into the room followed closely by Gohan.

Immediately, everyone sat on their seats and paid attention.

The teacher, Mister Moroono, addressed the class. "Alright, shut it already!" His gruff vocals felt the need to seemingly strain his voice by the mere inclination of talking, as if opening his mouth was torture to himself. "I'm Ingoro Moroono, your homeroom teacher and warden from today forward! I am here to make your lives miserable! And you will grow to hate me!"

"Too late on that one…" Sharpner murmured quietly. Erasa covered her mouth with both her hands to hide her smile.

"First things first!" Moroono continued. "Just because its spring, it does not mean you can all swoon and fawn over each other like some sick animal trying to hump the other! Long as I'm around, you students are going to be as pure as icicles!"

"You mean the ones shoved up his ass?" Sharpner whispered.

Videl chuckled slightly as Erasa gave a small giggle.

"Now… I hate wasting time… But I'd better introduce another brat to the fold." Moroono turned to Gohan. "Go on, what's your name?"

Gohan smiled to the class. "H- Hi…" He stuttered slightly. "My name is Son Gohan an-"

He was suddenly interrupted by Moroono. "You were eyeing that blonde girl there weren't you?!" He exploded at the teen, pointing at Erasa, who looked shocked.

Gohan shook his head. "N- No sir…" He hid mouth behind his book. "I was looking at the girl next to her… with the dark hair."

Videl looked up from her doodles in curiosity, wondering why she of all people caught his attention.

"Oh yeah!?" Moroono questioned, leaning closer to Gohan. "Why's that?!"

"I, um… met her yesterday, at the train station… she looked familiar." He said nervously.

It was then that Videl remembered why he looked familiar; they had bumped into each other at the station.

"Oh…" Moroono lost his explosive nature at that point. "Well then, be on your way, since you know her you can sit next to Miss Satan and Mister Pencil, on you go."

Gohan bowed. "Thank you sir!" He quickly walked to the seat he was designated and sat down.

"He's the worst, isn't he?" Sharpner whispered to Gohan with his arms crossed over his chest as Moroono droned on and on. "Looks like you're already on his shit list for looking at a girl. We have a year to put up with his bullshit. Name's Sharpner Pencil by the way."

Gohan introduced himself to the blonde, talking amongst themselves during class, where he got acquainted with Videl and Erasa.

"That's all for today. Normal lectures will continue tomorrow. HEY, PENCIL! WAKE UP!" Moroono shouted at Sharpner, who had fallen asleep while Gohan talked to the others.

Immediately, Sharpner shot up to a sitting position. "ERASA'S CHEERLEADING PRACTICE!" He yelled, waking from his dream.

While the other's looked shocked, Erasa blushed deeply. "Sh- Sharpie! I haven't done cheerleading practice ever!" She said hastily.

Just then, the intercom sounded. "Attention all teachers. Please report immediately to the Faculty Office for a staff meeting. All students are to remain in their classrooms and not leave the school until further notice."

Moroono groaned. "Alright, you heard Miss Hamilton. Don't go anywhere until you hear otherwise." With that, he left the room.

As soon as the door shut, the students began talking among themselves.

"Three hundred and sixty five days left…" Videl groaned as she mounted her head on her arms.

Sirens sounded from outside the school before students filed to the fog covered window. "Hey, Videl-san, why aren't you heading out? Sounds like something happened." A male student asked.

Concerned, Videl checked her phone. "No messages, they must not need me." She murmured.

Gohan looked from her to the window and back again.

"She helps the cops from time to time." Sharpner informed him as he noticed Gohan's movements.

A male student walked up to Erasa, his shy demeanor practically radiating from him. "H- Hi, Erasa-san. M- Mind if I ask you something?"

Sharpner opened one of his closed eyes and looked to the teen at his side.

"I- Is it true that the announcer lady is staying at the Inn you work at?" The teen continued.

"Ah, sorry, Riku-kun, I can't discuss that outside of work." Erasa said apologetically.

Sharpner smirked as he closed his eyes again, relaxing with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh, okay, f- forgive me for bothering you." Riku bowed and backed away.

"How much longer is this going to take?" Videl asked irritably, her pencil tapping off her desk as she checked her watch.

"There's no telling…" Gohan informed as he slid his last book into his pack.

"Guess I'm gonna have to see if someone can take my shift… I'm already late." Sharpner said as he stood up, taking out his phone as he walked to the back of the class.

"Hey, did you try out the thing I asked you about the other day? Remember, that rumor about rainy nights?" Videl asked Erasa.

"Nope, sorry. I haven't had time with my work." Her friend apologized as she shook her head, her small hoop earrings shaking slightly.

"Ah, that's okay; it's just a dumb rumor." Videl reassured her with a smile. "It's just some senior said that he saw that Razio woman appear and that they were 'meant to be'."

The intercom sounded around them. "Attention, all students. There has been an incident near the school district. Several police officers have been posted around the area. Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians as soon as possible and calmly leave the school grounds. Do not disturb the officers and head directly home."

"Incident?!" A nearby student asked. "Something actually happened? C'mon, let's take a look."

Gohan stood up as he placed his pack's strap over his shoulder. "Hey, new guy!" Videl addressed him from behind, "You walking home alone? Come on, Erasa and I can walk with you."

Gohan turned and nodded; a light blush on his face.

The three began walking away from their desk. "Hey, hold on a sec…" Videl said as she noticed Sharpner as he got off his phone. "Oh, Sharpner…" She cooed.

Immediately, he froze up. "Crap…" He murmured before turning around and smiling. "Hey, Videl… Oh, would you look at the time." He moved to walk by them before tripping over her foot, falling on his face.

"You're not wearing a watch, Sharpner!" She slightly growled. "Now where's my DVD!?" She demanded impatiently.

Sharpner sprang to his feet, taking out a case that Gohan recognized as the one he held in the street. "Well, you see, I was on my skateboard and then two girls walked in front of me and I swerved to not hit them and there was streetlights… please don't hurt me…" He whimpered slightly as he held out the case.

Videl snatched the case from him before opening the case, her face dropped immediately. "My… My Wrath of the Dragon? You… You broke it!? This was the last live action movie Bruce Lee starred in!" She looked up at him in horror and disbelief.

"I promise I'll replace it!" Sharpner promised hastily as he bowed sorrowfully. "I promise! Please forgive me."

Videl's hand curled into a fist.

"Delly, no!" Erasa commanded, grabbing her wrist. "Calm down, he said he'd get you a new one and I know Sharpie is a man of his word." She looked at Sharpner. "Right, cutie?" She asked with a smile.

Sharpner gave a serious nod before straightening his body. "I give you my word, Videl." He placed his fist on his chest.

"Good! And it better be clean!" She pouted.

Gohan could have sworn he witnessed Sharpner swoon slightly at her expression.

Outside of school, Gohan, Videl and Erasa waited on Sharpner while he went to get his skateboard after leaving it at the woodwork class for repairs. While they waited, Gohan informed him of the events of Sharpner's tragic loss this morning.

"Well, at least he was a gentleman about it…" Videl said when Gohan had finished his harrowing tale.

"You're Erasa Pynk-Rubber, right?" A heavy breathed voice said from behind them. The three turned to see a teen male wearing a different schools badge on his shirt emerge from behind a tree and walk up to Erasa, his disheveled brown hair and distant brown eyes made Gohan feel uneasy around him. "Y- You wanna hang out somewhere?"

Erasa was taken aback, stumbling over her words by the teen's suddenness. "I- What? Who…Who are you?"

Two students walked past the group. "What's up with that guy? Doesn't he have any clue? He's got no chance with Erasa. She rarely wants to go on dates." One stated loudly.

"What's he doing at our school? He belongs at the other side of the city." The other commented.

"S- So are you coming or not!?" The teen asked a little aggressively than before.

"Videl said I'm not supposed to go with strangers… So I… I'm not going…" Erasa said with all the bluntness of Mjolnir.

"Fine!" The teen yelled angrily before taking off down the street.

"W- What did he want?" She asked in shocked curiosity.

"Really? He wanted a date." Videl scoffed in his direction.

Erasa put her hands to her mouth in shock. "R- Really? B- But doesn't he know I don't date people I just met?" She asked hastily.

"Like that pipsqueak could have a chance with a babe like you, right 'Raze?" A voice dismissed the teen from behind them.

They turned to see Sharpner standing next to them, his repaired skateboard under his arm looking good as new.

Erasa flung her arms around his buff arm. "At least I have my bodyguard to protect me, right Sharpie?" She teased.

Sharpner looked away as a faint blush appeared on his face. "Yeah… Sure!" He said in now feigned dismissiveness, causing Erasa to snuggle his arm more.

Videl sighed and looked at Gohan. "Well, at least I'm not the third wheel anymore."

"We're not dating!" The two blondes burst out protectively, their faced flushed red.

Gohan chuckled along with Videl.

"Come on, we should get going…" Sharpner murmured.

The group left the school behind them as they made their way through the city.

"So you came here because of your education?" Videl asked Gohan as the four walked down the street. "That's kinda mature of you."

"And kinda a letdown if you ask me…" Sharpner butted in. "He coulda been some evil mastermind who had to escape from the countryside because the cops finally tracked him down, coming to the city to blend in as an average highschooler to fool his would-be captors!"

Videl and Gohan looked at him in disbelief as Erasa smiled amusedly.

"You… have an active imagination, Sharpner…" Gohan commented.

"Lay off the comic books already, ya bonehead!" Videl said feistily.

"Hey, why don't we go to the movies sometime?" Erasa said quickly, noticing Sharpner about to retort. "I hear the new Fist of the North Joestar came out a day ago. We should totally go and watch it, right Sharpie?"

She looked up at him with her big blue sparkling eyes and Sharpner gulped. "Y- Yeah, sure thing 'Raze…" He murmured.

"What do you two think?" Erasa asked as she turned her gaze to the two dark haired teens as Videl's smirk to Sharpner's reaction fell from her face.

"Yeah sure, I guess, just to keep an eye on him so he doesn't do anything he's regret with you… as long as he's up for it." She jerked her thumb at Gohan, who nodded shyly.

Erasa squealed happily as her arms tightened around Sharpner's forearm. "Yay! It'd be like a group date!" She said excitedly before catching herself and looking at Videl. "Which it totally isn't!" She said defensively as Videl's eyebrows pistoned vertically as she glanced between Erasa and Sharpner teasingly.

"So… Gohan…" Erasa began tentatively as she gave a catlike smile to Videl before looking to the onyx eyed boy. "You think Videl's cute right?" She asked bluntly as a way to tease Videl back.

"What the hell is that meant to mean!?" Videl asked in outrage.

"Well, I… Um…" Gohan began stuttering immensely as Videl turned her blue eyes to look at him, a blush under her eyes.

"Do you?" She asked with a vulnerable twinge in her voice.

Gohan gave a little squeak before burying his face in his strap pack.

"I think that's the universal sign in the Man-Dom of 'Hell yeah I do.'" Sharpner pointed out firmly. Only cementing his comment as Gohan screamed into his pack. "See?" Sharpner finished.

Gohan finally removed his pack from his face to reveal his blood red blushing face, causing everyone to chuckle at his expense.

They continued on until they witnessed police cars ahead. "Hey, is that the investigation site?" Gohan pointed out, having recovered from the blood rush to his head.

"Hmm, I think it's time I got to the bottom of this police secrecy!" Videl declared quietly as she marched over to the site, followed by her entourage.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but this area is off limits to citizen-" A policeman began before Videl flashed her badge at him.

"Save it, Buster, just what the hell happened here and why wasn't I informed!?" Videl demanded irritably, her arms crossed and an authoritively stern expression on her face.

"Oh, forgive me, Miss Satan, I must have mistaken you for someone else." The policeman gave a bow before continuing. "A young schoolgirl called the police station this morning to report a body hanging from the building antenna behind me. The police and fire department took down the body a while ago and we've been scouring the area for clues ever since. The higher-ups felt it didn't need that many investigators so they only sent two police cars worth of police officers to investigate. That's all I know."

Behind the policeman, a familiar face appeared before walking up to the group. "Hey, I thought I told you to keep everyone away." Yamcha growled professionally. "This is an investigation, damn it! Not a picnic! Now do your job or I'll-?"

It was then that he noticed Gohan standing there. "Hey, kid, what're you doing here?" His voice changed to a calmer tone when addressing the group, or more closely addressing Gohan.

"Did something happen?" Gohan said casually.

The other three's heads turned to look at Gohan in surprise.

"Yeah, you could say that." Yamcha began before shaking his head, muttering. "That damn director, I told him not to let students through here…"

"You know Detective Yamcha?" Videl asked as she rejoined the others.

Gohan gave a nod. "He's the one I'm staying with." He said simply.

"Ah, Miss Satan. Forgive me, I didn't see you there." Yamcha said suavely with a slight, humble bow. "I hope you get along with him, he's new to city life."

"It's no trouble at all." Videl smiled as she spoke professionally. "And don't worry; he's nothing I can't handle."

Gohan gave a slightly hurt look as Yamcha chuckled.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Miss Satan, young Gohan here has a knack for having women fall for him."

Gohan gave a nervous chuckle as he rubbed the nape of his neck. "He's joking, I… I don't have any luck with women." His chuckle died down to be replaced by a soft blush. "Uncle Yamcha…" He pleaded meekly.

"Anyway, you four should head on home, this is an active investigation after all." Yamcha warned them with a calm tone.

Just then, a younger looking boy with navy blue hair ran past them from the direction of the investigation area, holding his mouth closed before reaching a nearby trash can and vomiting into it.

"Oh for the love of…" Yamcha began as he placed his palm over his face. "Puar! Get it together already! I told you to stay with Tien and ship the body for investigation back at the station! You should be used to this since I brought you onto the force! Damn it!"

"Sorry…" Puar said with his head still inside the trash can.

Yamcha sighed. "Go wash your face… And for the love of Kami, stop leaving Tien alone! You know how he gets when Chiaotzu takes the day off!"

The four stopped off at their split off point, ready to go their separate ways until tomorrow.

"Was that what the announcement was for today?" Sharpner asked as he thought back on the scene.

"It was a strange way to die, hanging from a telephone antenna over a house…" Videl pondered, her police officer side thinking deep into the scenario.

"Hey, uh… Sharpie, why don't you walk me home today… I don't want to be alone." Erasa asked worriedly as she clung to his arm.

"Sure thing." Sharpner gave a reassuring smile.

"Alright then." Videl said as she smiled at the others. "We can meet up again tomorrow at school, see you guys. Bye Gohan, it was nice meeting you." She backed away waving before turning and proceeding to walk home.

"Catch you later, Gohan, don't stay out too late after what just happened." Sharpner warned him before he led a practically frightened Erasa down the street to what was presumably towards her home.

Now alone, Gohan phoned up Chiyori to check on her. "Hey, I'll be home soon okay?" He greeted her.

"Okay, I'll put dinner on now for you, see you when you get home." Chiyori responded before hanging up.

Late that night, Gohan and Chiyori sat down for dinner as the news continued on the TV. "The deceased has been identified as forty two year old Razio Racorde. An announcer here for our studio. The initial results of the Satan City Police Department have been revealed by its head investigators, two distinguished martial artists turned detectives."

Chiyori's head immediately shot up at the mention of the martial artists, however looked disappointed as the two had not been shown on TV.

The anchor continued. "Authorities remain baffled as to why the body was hung upside down from an antenna on a building. With the cause of death uncertain, police continue to investigate whether the death was an accident or homicide…"

"Who would think it was an accident if the person was hanging that way?" Chiyori questioned herself as she twirled her instant cook ramen with her chopsticks.

Gohan was too focused on the news. "A thick fog common to Satan City has slowed their investigation… and plans to search the area have been postponed until tomorrow morning. Students of Orange Star High School are asked to avoid that particular street on the way to school tomorrow."

The news switched over to the Julays commercial, sending Chiyori into an ecstatic state. "Ooh! It's Julays!" She yelped happily.

"At Julays, everyday is customer appreciation day. Come see for yourself and browse our amazing products!" The announcer informed happily.

The jingle played again. "Everyday's great at your Julays."

"Everyday's great at your Julays." Chiyori sang happily.

"…Your Julays!" Gohan joined in a little late.

Chiyori looked at him and smiled as she hugged him.

The next day, Sharpner caught up to Gohan as he walked to school.

"Hey, Gohan, you see the news last night? That's the thing from yesterday. Remember? The crime scene we stumbled across." Sharpner started up the conversation with ease.

"Yeah, I saw it, hope the police can figure out what happened." Gohan said to himself.

"Pfft, doubtful, the cops here. Well… let's say they're not the most adept at their jobs besides a small few. Hell, why do you think they have a high school student helping them out. They need someone to bail them outta trouble. Who better than a smokin' hot brunette whose dad practically owns this town?"

"He does?" Gohan asked; ignoring Sharpner's adjective of Videl.

"Yep, Mark Hercule Satan, the city's named after him after all." Sharpner informed him.

"Interesting…" Gohan said softly, placing his thumb and index finger over his chin thoughtfully.

"Anyway, back on topic…" Sharpner corrected his behavior. "You think that body was staged? Like some sort of warning? Something that strange couldn't happen on its own, right?"

Gohan shrugged. "You could be right…" He said to the blonde.

"Huh?" Sharpner said in surprise. "Oh right, yeah… no one's ever said that before…" He looked at his feet for several seconds before continuing. "Just dangling a body like that… Kinda messed up." Sharpner caught himself before correcting. "I mean… It's totally messed up killing in the first place."

Sharpner checked his Rolex. "Shit, we're running late, if we run we can just about make it." He turned to Gohan. "Last one there owes the other five hundred Zeni, what do ya s-"

Gohan took off, leaving a smoke silhouette behind.

"HEY! NO FAIR!" Sharpner called as he chased after him.

Sharpner grumbled as he reached into his wallet in class and handed Gohan a five hundred Zeni note. "You cheated!" Sharpner muttered.

"Quiet, you dumbasses!" Moroono shouted at the slight muttering as he walked in the room. "This is a highschool! Not some social gathering where you sit on your ass and talk smack all day." He turned and began writing work on the chalkboard.

"Least it's smack and not whatever crack he's been taking lately…" Sharpner muttered.

"Keep talking like that, Pencil, and I'll have your ass hauled outta here!" Moroono spat viciously.

Sharpner shrugged. "Looking at a young boy's ass, sir? Funny, you didn't look catholic."

Everyone in the class gave a stifled laugh.

Moroono, however, took out a notebook.

"What's that?" Gohan asked quietly.

"King Moron's, quote unquote, Shit List…" Videl whispered. "He uses it to manage all the students he dislikes and if you find yourself in that book, it's bye-bye fun."

"What's he gonna do?" Sharpner whispered back nonchalantly. "Throw me in detention? Please, the babes love me there."

"Mops aren't babes, Sharpner." Videl commented casually.

Sharpner's face dropped.

"Cut him some slack, Delly." Erasa said to comfort the hurt blonde jock.

"Now…" Moroono addressed the class as he placed his notebook away. "My job is to waste my time teaching you philosophy and culture, to give you shits a decent education. And since I'm feeling generous…" Moroono straightened his posture to look self important, only revealing how much of a pompous prick he could be. "You have the honor of my discipline to turn arrogant little asshats like you into almost respectable adults. It's a difficult task, but I am worth it."

"This isn't a shampoo commercial. Get on with it already." Sharpner called out, clearly bored.

Moroono held back his annoyance as the girls in the class giggled and the guys chuckled. "Everyone take out your textbooks and turn to page three!" He ordered.

The end of class ticked by and Sharpner stood up to stretch, his tank top pressing against his muscular frame, causing a few girls to look on in awe.

"You okay, Erasa?" Videl asked as she looked at her friend, who sat gazing at Sharpner with a tissue over her nose.

"Yep…" She said, distracted as she turned away.

"So…" Sharpner turned as his arms fell to his sides. "You getting used to the place?" He asked Gohan.

Gohan gave a curt nod.

"Wow that was fast." Sharpner pointed out. "Wish I was that good, though granted I was young coming over here."

"You're not from Satan City?" Gohan inquired.

"Well, yeah, I was born here…" Sharpner began. "But I grew up in West City after my dad went off on tour; he's the lead singer of a successful band. So my mom just moved from there to here. I was… five, I believe. My dad and Videl's dad were best buds back in their old days so I knew Videl before I came here, and then she introduced me to Erasa. We've all been friends for a long time…" He paused slightly as he glanced over at the girls on the other side of the room and let out a sigh.

"Something bothering you?" Gohan asked.

Sharpner shook his head. "Nah, don't sweat it. It's nothing." He waved it off.

"Hey, you wanna get lunch with me?" Sharpner asked. "There's a department store I work at for my mom's friend. It's not far from here, 'bout a twenty five minute walk. Ten if you have a skateboard. Anyway, they have some great steak over there… Though just a warning, I'm not the cleanest of eaters."

"Sounds good, and me too, I eat a lot." Gohan confided in Sharpner, who looked from Gohan to Gohan's stomach and back again. "I work out?" He added meekly.

"What's this I hear about food?" Videl said from behind Sharpner, causing him to jump forward in fright, hitting his knee on the desk.

"The hell even are you!? Some kinda ninja!?" Sharpner gave out as he massaged his knee.

"I heard you're buying food, more specifically; steak! I want in for some Caesar Salad after you destroyed my movie yesterday." Videl pointed out bluntly.

"What?! I said I'd get you a new one!" Sharpner reminded her.

Videl nodded. "Yes but I'm hungry. And you wouldn't leave me hungry now…" She moved up close to him and looked up with sparkling blue eyes. "Would you, Sharpner?"

"No! Kami damn it! You and your damn puppy dog eyes!" He growled in defeat.

Videl turned around and fist pumped the air. "Yes! Alright, come on guys, you can escort me to Julays' food court!" She said as she beckoned the two to follow her.

"Julays?" Gohan whispered to himself as he stood up.

The three sat at a metal circular table in Julays' Food Court while they waited for their food to be delivered.

"So what's the deal with 'Raze? Why didn't she tag along with you?" Sharpner asked the brunette.

"She had a shift over at the Inn to do, so she went on ahead." Videl informed him. "What's it to you?"

"Whoa, hey, I'm just asking, you two have been practically joined at the hip since we've been friends. Can barely get near her with you around." Sharpner said casually.

"Oh yeah? Why the hell would you wanna go near her?!" Videl asked aggressively.

"Jeez, would you calm the hell down? She's my friend too!" Sharpner retorted defensively.

"Sorry…" Videl apologized. "Guess I'm just a bit worked up after yesterday."

"You seem to really care about her." Gohan pointed out.

"Well, yeah…" Videl said with a smile. "She and Sharpner are the only friends I have that never used me for my father's fame or status. And plus she has real bad luck with guys. You saw what happened with that guy yesterday. She gets really flustered if asked out. And if guys want a chance with her, they have to get past this roadblock." She jabbed her finger over at Sharpner, who jokingly puffed out his chest. "And if he fails to do that, which is rarely ever, barring yesterday. Then they have to go through me." Videl finished with a happy nod.

"Yeah, just call us the Erasa Defense Force!" Sharpner quipped.

"You're an ass!" Videl gave a deadpan look at Sharpner.

"Oh, so you've been looking at it too, huh?" He stuck his tongue out at her before receiving a bonk on the head, biting his tongue. "Ow!" He yelped in pain.

"Ooh! Our food!" Videl cried out as a waitress began walking over to them, food on hand. Nearby, _Simple and Clean_ by Utada Hikaru began to play softly from a radio.

Videl snickered slightly. "Hey, Sharpner, look who it is…" She whispered.

Sharpner turned to see the waitress. A young girl about their age, her dark hair draped over her shoulders and apron as her onyx eyes blinked in the overcast rays. She wore a blue undershirt under her Julays apron; black boots decorated her feet while a skirt reached down to her knees with black knee high socks covering the rest of her legs.

"Ch- Chico-san…" Sharpner breathed before standing up and walking over to her. "Here, Chico-san, lemme help you with that." Sharpner said politely, taking two trays of food for her.

"Oh, thank you, Sharpner-kun, you're very thoughtful." Chico said with a soft spoken voice and a shy smile.

"Is that his girlfriend?" Gohan whispered to Videl.

"Pfft, he wishes…" She whispered back. "She's Chico, she's in the class next to ours, and her family runs a liquor store in the city's shopping district, and Sharpner's fabled love interest since starting high school."

"You look beat…" Sharpner pointed out worriedly as they walked to the others. "Do you want to take the rest of the day off? I'll cover for you."

Chico smiled sweetly. "Oh, Sharpner-kun, you know I can't do that, it'd look bad on my work resume if I constantly put work on you, but thank you."

They reached the table and set down the trays. "Why don't you take a break and sit with us?" Sharpner asked.

"I have to keep working." She said with a slight blush before getting on her tiptoes and kissing Sharpner on the cheek and nose.

Gohan spied Videl taking a sneaky picture of this action on her phone.

"You're the sweetest." Chico cooed softly as she stood up straight again, looking up at Sharpner's blushing face.

"N- No problem…" He stuttered as he struggled to regain his composure.

"Hey…" Chico caught sight of Gohan yet remained in front of Sharpner, seeming to keep him close. "Aren't you that new transfer student? Goham-san, right?"

"Gohan." He corrected her nicely.

"Oh, sorry." She smiled and rubbed her forearm gently. "Strange, I sort of remember someone like you when I was younger. It must be a bit overwhelming coming from the country over to a big city like this." She turned to Sharpner for a moment. "You'll help him get accompanied here, won't you, Sharpner-kun?" she asked.

"S- Sure, of course I will." Sharpner agreed.

Videl made a subtle whipping motion behind Chico.

"Can it, you!" Sharpner mouthed to Videl.

"And you could give Sharpner a guy friend to hang out with. I just see him hanging out with Videl and Erasa and I'm worried he doesn't have any other friends." Chico confided in Gohan openly.

"H- Hey, I- I have guy friends…" Sharpner said, taken aback.

"Oh, I didn't mean to make it sound negative, Sharpner-kun." Chico said with a reassuring smile. She looked back at Gohan. "You'll hang with him, right?" She asked.

"I already am, aren't I?" Gohan asked in confusion.

Chico smiled. "Thank you. He really is a sweet guy under all that muscle." She giggled before looking up at Sharpner again. "I have to go back to work okay? Let's go see a movie next week. Just you and me." She promised him before kissing his cheek again.

Gohan viewed Videl snap another picture.

"Y- Yeah, okay, sounds like a plan." Sharpner said with a smile. "I'll text you when I get home."

Chico smiled and walked away, her hands behind her back.

"Nice, Sharpner." Videl congratulated him as he sat down, a pleased look on his face. "You might actually have a chance with her."

"Gee, thanks…" Sharpner said in dry sarcasm as his face dropped. "Anyway, let's eat."

"The hell is this?" Videl said in outrage as she looked at her plate with regular salad. "I asked for Caesar Salad!"

"Yeah, well, I only have so much in my allowance. Once you hopped on the freeloader train, I had to cut down on orders." Sharpner muttered as he began devouring his dinosaur meat alongside Gohan.

"Whoa, I didn't know you ate like Sharpner, Gohan." Videl said with wide eyes.

Gohan swallowed his food before speaking. "I'm hungry…" He said simply.

"So, anyway, the head Julays sales assistant and the local liquor store girl? The flame of forbidden love." Videl teased. "I think that's what I'll put as a caption on social media with these pictures when I get home."

"Don't you dare!" Sharpner's outburst came at the cost of his food in his mouth before he emptied the contents into his stomach. "Chico-san would get in trouble if her dad found out!"

"Oh, please, like I'd be that dumb…" Videl retorted. "Her father isn't friends with me on social media and I keep it 'friends only'. So you don't have to get worked up."

"Anyway, I know just the thing to cheer up your lovesick heart." Videl continued. "Ever hear of the Midnight Channel?"

Gohan looked up from his food yet continued eating.

"You need to look into a turned off TV at exactly midnight while you're alone on a rainy night." Videl informed them. "While you're staring at your own reflection, another person will appear in the TV… And they say that person is destined to be your soulmate."

Sharpner slumped back in his chair. "And here I thought you actually wanted to help me. Typical." He scoffed. "Never thought you'd be the one to make childish rumors."

"Childish? You don't believe me?" Videl asked, shocked. "Aw, you always believed me before." She pouted.

"'Course I don't believe you. That shit's for five year olds to believe. Besides, I already got a date with my girl." Sharpner said almost gleefully.

"Well, it's raining tonight!" Videl stomped her foot matter-of-factly. "Let's all try it out… Then we'll see."

"Yeah, sure, whatever V-" He paused momentarily. "You mean you didn't try it yourself?!" Sharpner sighed. "Ugh, I can't remember the last time I heard something this stupid…"

"Anyway, all TV bullshit aside…" Sharpner continued as he looked from Videl to Gohan. "That incident yesterday? You guys thinking murder? What if the culprit is still at large?" He gave a slight chuckle.

"Don't joke about this." Gohan warned him. "If it is murder, you'd be sullying Miss Racorde's name."

"Oh yeah, they did release her identity to the public, didn't they." Videl commented.

"You still not on the case?" Sharpner asked her, his arm draped over the chair's arm.

Videl shook her head. "Not even a text, I had to learn her identity through the news." Videl took a drink from her juice box that accompanied her meal. "Anyway, just try the rumor out. Please? A minute outta your life isn't going to do any harm."

"Alright, jeez. We'll do it." Sharpner caved into her demands.

Gohan looked up from his food, apparently having no say in the matter.

That evening, Gohan sat with his sister, their dinner prepared.

"He won't be home today…" Chiyori piped up with a hint of sadness.

"Don't worry." Gohan comforted as he ate his sushi. "He's out there keeping us safe. It's what he enjoys doing."

"I know… I just wish he was here more often." Chiyori murmured before switching the channel to a Super Sentai show with differently colored heroes fighting men in costumes portraying monsters.

"Go! Go!" Chiyori yelled happily as the red and blue actors worked together to drop kick the monster accompanied by flamboyant flips and jumps.

The front door slid open and Chiyori took her attention from the TV screen.

"He's home!" She announced ecstatically, running up to Yamcha as he slumped on a stool next to the counter.

"What a day…" He murmured, rubbing his face before resting his arm on the counter. He looked at Gohan. "Anything happen while I was out?" He asked in tired concern.

"No. You're late again!" Chiyori pouted, crossing her arms and stomping the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Chiyori. I've been busy with work." Yamcha said with a slight frown before turning his head back to look at Gohan. "Could you switch on the news please?" He asked sleepily.

Gohan nodded before changing the channel.

"Next, a few more details on the developing story from the fog swept city of Satan." The news anchor announced. "Announcer Razio Racorde's deceased body was found hanging above a house in this bustling urban area. It is confirmed that Miss Racorde had been involved in an affair with King Koku Furry; our King for many years now has taken leave of his position for an undisclosed amount of time and has left his younger brother, Prince Kuma Furry, in charge for the foreseeable future. The police plan to investigate this relationship further for a possible motive as to why Miss Racorde had been found murdered."

Gohan listened intently to the news report.

"In addition, we now bring you to an interview with a local student who found Miss Racorde's body." The anchor continued before the screen changed to a reporter and a teen with a blurred face. The physique pointed to the student being female.

"What went through your mind when you found Miss Racorde's body? Could you tell she was deceased? Did you see her face?" The reporter's questions spat out like lightning, barely giving the teen a chance to process the questions.

"I… Um…" She stuttered gently, placing her soft hand over her chest dovelike.

"Don't you think it's scary that she was killed on a foggy day?" The reporter shot at her.

"W- What? She was killed?" The teen asked in shock.

Something clicked in Gohan's head. He recognized the voice, however could not pinpoint where.

"Oh…" The reporter faltered slightly. "Did… you see anyone suspicious around here?"

The teen shook her head. "N- No, it was too foggy. It… It was too thick to see through."

"We heard that you left school early. Did you have something personal to deal with?" The reporter questioned.

"E- Excuse me? N- No, I just…" The teen became increasingly uncomfortable with the reporter's continually intrusive questions. "Could… I go home now? I promised someone I'd call them."

The news anchor appeared back on screen, shuffling his notes as he pushed his spectacles back up his nose. He turned to his male co-anchor. "It sure is a strange case, isn't it? Stringing up a poor defenseless woman like that on a building antenna, and the cause of death still unknown… Sadly, no one has come forward yet."

"Loads of prank calls though…" Yamcha murmured sleepily, falling asleep with his arms cushioning his head.

"Gohan, can we go to Julays' someday?" Chiyori asked as she changed the channel.

"Maybe soon, for now… I'll take him to bed." Gohan informed Chiyori, making her beam happily.

He stood up, slinging Yamcha's arm over his shoulder before beginning to climb the stairs.

"Everyday's great at your Julays'." He heard Chiyori chime along with the TV as he reached the top.

That night, Gohan looked up at his analog clock.

'Almost midnight…' He thought to himself, pushing down on his legs as he stood up from the couch and walked to the TV.

He recalled what Videl had told him that afternoon. "You need to look into a turned off TV at exactly midnight while you're alone on a rainy night."

The clock ticked on as the rain pelted against his window. His eyes fixed on his reflection in the screen. Glancing at the time, the clock ticked by midnight and still nothing happened. "What a waste…" He murmured sleepily before yawning and turning his back on the TV.

It was then his room became baked in amber light. He turned to see his TV turn on without power. "What the…?" He whispered as he bent down, looking intently into the screen.

A figure moved in his vision, a girl with draping dark hair seemed to be dancing around bottle stands. The screen fizzled and shook, making it difficult to see her.

Lightning flashed behind him and his heart suddenly beat loudly in his head. Tremors of pain shot through his body as Gohan gripped his skull in pain. "I am you, you are I. You are the one that wills the truth from the depths of man."

Gohan reached out for something to grab. Anything to keep him steady as the piercing pain drilled through his skull. His touch came across something liquid and immediately the pain left. He followed his arm to see his hand now engulfed in the TV screen, white ripples on the TV forming around his wrist.

He felt something on the other side before he was violently tugged forward. Terror shot through him as he was dragged towards the TV screen, his arm now sunk shoulder deep into the rippling screen, before he grabbed the side of the TV, pulling his arm from the water-like mirror.

He fell back, stumbling over his table and hitting his head on the top of his couch, the world suddenly went dark as he blacked out.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **"The One Who Will Judge You Is My Stand!"**

The next day, Videl ran up to Gohan as he walked to school and scooted under his umbrella. "Sorry, I forgot my own and I didn't want to get my hair wet." Videl blushed.

"N- No problem…" Gohan stuttered slightly at being this close to a girl. Her scent wafted over to him and he could smell the faint hint of fruit from her hair.

"Did you see it?" Videl said hastily. "No wait; don't tell me, we should all talk about it together." She looked up at Gohan's umbrella then back to him, a worried expression on her face. "This is kinda awkward being this close, isn't it…?" She mentioned with faint rosy cheeks.

"I don't mind." Gohan smiled genuinely.

Videl's cheeks reddened. "A- Are you sure?" She asked nervously before returning a shy smile. "Okay then, just… don't get any ideas!" She pouted.

The two walked together, Videl staying close to Gohan's bicep.

The two sat down next to Erasa and Sharpner as their history teacher walked into the class.

"Hello, students." She greeted them, pushing her pale blond hair behind her ear and blinking her blue hues. "My name is Miss Mary Nertari, and I am not sure how acquainted you are with world history, but I am an expert! You'll have to forgive me if I speak fondly of history's romance, but I do so enjoy it." She gave a wistful smile as she looked around the room at the rather eager students, happy to be away from the glare of Mister Moroono.

"Now, since this is my first lecture in this school, I will start with a simple question… Let's see…" She began looking through the ledger. "Mister… Pencil?"

Sharpner looked up before standing to his feet, gaining Miss Neritari's attention.

"Ah, there you are. The western calendar, most typically associated with West City for obvious reasons, is based on the Anno Domini, traditionally believed to be the first year of the very first Guardian of Earth's birth. What was the year before Age One called?" Nertari questioned.

"Age minus One!" Sharpner affirmed. "West City never used Age Zero as they believed that the number could not make sense to the common person, stating 'how could a year exist when there was no year?'"

Nertari nodded. "Well done, Mister Pencil. Do I sense a slight Western accent to your voice?"

"Yes, ma'am. Lived in West City five years." Sharpner confided.

A few girls talked among themselves excitedly as Sharpner spoke, their misty eyed gaze seeming to rip away from Sharpner as they conversed.

The bell rung out later that day; the class filed out, leaving a few students in the classroom.

"What's up with the body being hung upside down like that? It's so messed up!" A student muttered behind Gohan and Videl.

"Is it meant to be a sign you think?" Her friend asked beside her. "My Senpai told me it was a second year like us who found the body."

Sharpner walked down the classroom from his phone call. "Sup…" He greeted Gohan, pocketing his phone. "It's… not really that important but… the TV yesterday… I watched it." He confessed.

Videl looked up at him while Erasa packed her backpack. "Did you talk to Chico-san last night?" Videl asked.

Sharpner nodded. "Yeah, but it wasn't for long, she had to go somewhere. She's a diligent girl." A small smile crept over his mouth before it disappeared. "She didn't come to school today though… I hope she's okay."

Erasa stood up and slung her backpack over her shoulder. "I'll be off." She said hastily.

"Helping out at the Inn today?" Videl asked out of curiosity.

Erasa nodded quickly. "Sorry… Things have been busy lately." She murmured, almost sleepily. She took off quickly and the others watched her leave.

"Poor Erasa…" Videl pouted.

"Is it just me…?" Sharpner began. "Or does 'Rase seem… I dunno, annoyed to anyone else?"

"Guess they're overworking her?" Videl speculated. "By the way, Sharpner… You took my advice after all." Videl gave him a smile.

"Well, there goes my yearly smile…" Sharpner jested. "What about you?"

"I did!" Videl exclaimed triumphantly before faltering. "I saw a girl… My soul-mate's a girl? But I'm straight… I couldn't quite tell, but it was definitely a girl." She went on to describe the individual. "Her hair was black, shoulder length… She had an eye color similar to Gohan…"

Sharpner's brow arched. "Wait, I think I saw the exact same person… She was dancing it looked like. The image was really blurry though."

Videl's shocked expression showed. "Excuse me?! Whoa, no, no! We do not have the same soul-mate." She said defiantly.

Sharpner rolled his eyes and turned to Gohan. "What about you, Gohan? You see anything?" He questioned.

Gohan nodded. "Yep, from what you two described, we all saw the same person. And… You guys won't believe me when I tell you this." The teen began explaining everything that happened the night before.

"Weird voices aside…" Sharpner began skeptically. "What was that about almost being pulled into your TV? You weren't high or drunk were you?" His concern grew.

"I doubt Gohan takes drugs or alcohol." Videl pointed out. "Besides I'd haul him in if he did." She side eyed him suspiciously. "Don't make me interrogate you."

"Jeez, put on a muzzle already." Sharpner warned. "He's not getting arrested." He let out a small chuckle. "I like the image of him just being stuck because his heads too big to fit into the TV."

"What if there was a bigger TV? Then I could show you if it happens again." Gohan asked innocently.

"Bigger TV?" Sharpner replied jokingly. "Well, the only place I can think of is Julays but they're all display models." He let out a laugh. "You should prove it; I bet Julays has one big enough to jump into."

The three stood in the electronics department of Julays surveying a wall of flat screen TVs.

"Guys… There's this word called joking, look it up!" Sharpner informed the two who flanked him.

"Oh, I know…" Videl cooed. "But since we're here… Think you can cut me a deal on a new seventy inch plasma screen TV?"

Sharpner gave her a deadpan look. "This was your idea all along, wasn't it?" He accused.

"Who? Little old me? Oh, Sharpner, I'd never dream of it… Is there one with Netflux?" Videl asked nicely.

"Oh, should it also be 3-D?" Sharpner mocked.

"Only if there's a discount." Videl replied.

"Oh yeah, it's buy one, get it full price!" Sharpner crossed his arms.

As they argued, Gohan reached towards the TV, pressing against the glass before his hand sunk into the screen, water-like ripples forming around his forearm.

"Well, anyway, go-" Sharpner began as he turned to the other male before freezing up at the sight. "Dude!" He gasped in shock.

Videl turned and looked equally as shocked at what she was witnessing. "H- How are you doing that!?" She shrieked. "Y- Your arm… It's in the TV…!"

"I… think I can go further in…" Gohan breathed excitedly as he pressed deeper into the TV.

"Hey, don't do that!" Sharpner warned in alarm, grabbing Gohan's shoulders and attempting to pull him back.

"For once, I'm with Sharpner on this one." Videl agreed as she followed Sharpner's example.

"Hello?" Gohan spoke as he pushed his face into the TV. "TV people? We come in peace!"

Suddenly, the three slipped and fell inside the TV screen, disappearing from Julays.

The three fell onto a hard surface.

"Ah! My ass!" Sharpner groaned as Videl landed on him, sitting up on his chest with her spandex covered butt positioned near his face. "Nevermind, I'm good." He added as she got up, fixing him with a glare while the two males got to their feet.

"Where are we?" She asked in wonder as she looked around, seeing nothing but thick fog, barely able to make out the ground ahead of them.

"I think we're inside the TV…" Gohan speculated.

"Hey! Don't say it so calmly!" Sharpner burst out. "It's your fault we got in here in the first place!"

"You guys pushed me." Gohan pointed out. "If anything, it's all our faults, I never asked for help because I had balance."

"Does this place look like a studio to you guys?" Sharpner asked as he looked around.

"Not sure, tough to make out in all this fog." Gohan replied. "This is fog, right?"

"Either that or someone has a really bad vaping habit." Sharpner quipped.

"Uh, guys…" Videl said in an almost trembling voice. "What's that?"

The two followed her finger to see a dark, round, ominous silhouette walking towards them.

"Well, see ya; it was nice knowing you two!" Sharpner exclaimed as he took off in the opposite direction.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Videl almost panicked as she and Gohan chased after Sharpner. "We could get separated in this fog!"

They ran out of breath when they came to an apartment block.

"Quickly! Inside!" Sharpner commanded as he opened the front door for them, letting the other two pass before following, barring the door with a wooden broom through the handles.

They continued on until they passed a room, Gohan skidded to a stop as something caught his eye.

Entering the room, the three were met with a disturbing sight; ripped posters on the wall smeared with dark red paint bore the first unnerving detail. The second held deep claw marks on the floor and futon. However, the one that caught their attention the most was a single rope hanging from the ceiling, tied to a red ascot and hovering over a chair on its side.

"What… the… fuck…?" Sharpner sounded out slowly, his eyes in shock at what he saw. "Dude, this is getting really creepy…"

"What's with this room?" Videl asked slowly. "Ripped posters? Claw marks? The posters have the faces ripped off…"

"Someone must really not like interior decoration." Sharpner added.

"Shut it! This is a crime scene!" Videl growled.

"Yeah, in a TV, I doubt you have any jurisdiction here!" Sharpner retorted.

Videl glared at him but relented, he did have a point.

"This kind of arrangement is never a good sign…" Sharpner muttered as he walked up to the chair. "Is that a scarf?"

"Ascot, red silk, you can tell by the shine of the fabric." Gohan pointed out.

The two looked at him.

"What? I had some free time over the summer two years ago so I studied some fashion." Gohan informed them.

Videl sighed and placed her fingers on her head. "Let's just head to the entrance and find a way back. Hopefully it's clear of that weird round thing now."

Videl turned and walked out of the room.

"Hm…" Sharpner paused as he began to follow Videl and looked at the posters. "I think I've seen this before…" He turned to Gohan. "Come on, we should probably go before Videl has a hissy fit."

Just then, Videl's scream caught their attention.

"Videl!" They called before rushing out.

"What's w- Oh my Kami…" Sharpner trailed off as they ran next to Videl to see a large, blue furred Teddy Bear doll in a white suit with a blue collar. "What the fuck is this thing?"

Suddenly, the bear sprang to life. "What? I could ask you the same thing!" It outburst, pointing at Sharpner.

"What the-! It talks!?" The trio exclaimed in nervous unison.

A loud grumbling sounded around them, making the bear nervous. Reaching behind its back, it took a pair of thick rimmed, black glasses from its back pocket and handed them to Gohan. "Here, take these and get back to where you came from. The shadows have noticed you!" Without another word, the bear shot off back into the dense fog.

Gohan's brow arched as he examined the glasses. Slowly, he put them on.

"Uh, guys, should we really be standing around after hearing that?" Sharpner asked.

"I can see!" Gohan exclaimed as he looked through the glasses. "The fog! It's gone!"

"The hell are you talking about?!" Sharpner barked. "The fog's still here! We can't see five feet in front of us!"

Dark figures moved within the fog.

"We should be leaving!" Videl warned.

A shadowy hand appeared on her shoulder and she screamed, taking off past Sharpner and Gohan.

The three ran, ducking and weaving away from the grasp of the shadows.

They reached the ground floor before Sharpner shouldered the barred door open, falling on his side.

"Come on!" Videl ordered, running on as Sharpner scrambled to his feet.

Videl ran face first into a ball-like shadow with its tongue hanging out. The tongue licked her and she screamed.

"Huh, maybe she is into girls…" Sharpner pointed out as he ran to her. "Get away from her!" His fist soared forward, punching the shadow before throwing it to the ground and stomping on it.

"She's out cold!" Gohan informed Sharpner as the dark haired teen inspected Videl's unconscious body.

"How?! She got licked!" Sharpner told him before a shadow grabbed him from behind and threw him into the air. "What the fuck!" Sharpner growled before he landed heavily on his back and several shadows dog piled him.

Sinister applause sounded from behind Gohan, who turned to see a figure shrouded in dark with glowing yellow, pupil less eyes.

"Who are you?!" Gohan demanded, taking up a fighting stance.

"Who I want to be…" A distorted voice came from the eyes. "Not shackled to protection, free from the burden of expectation of my father. I am free to be what I always wanted. After all…" The figure emerged from the shadows, his dark spiked hair blowing slightly in the wind. "…I am you!"

Gohan's eyes widened as he looked at his mirror-less reflection. "Y- You're…" He breathed.

"Not you?" His other self asked, laughing slightly. "Is that what you were going to say? Come on, speak up."

"You're…" Gohan repeated. "…Me!"

His reflection's laughter was cut short. "Wait, what?" He asked in confusion.

"You're the me I couldn't show anyone, the one who wanted to pursue a scholar's degree." Gohan walked up to his other self. "I never revealed you because I wanted to make father proud of me."

"Well, that was… anticlimactic…" The other Gohan muttered as he began to glow. His body disappeared and he became a mask floating in the air.

Gohan reached out to the Noir Phantom half faced mask when he suddenly froze, hearing a familiar, coarse voice in his head. "Are you forsaking them to save yourself? Death awaits them if you do not act. So act!"

The mask bolted to Gohan's face, latching itself onto his skin. He screamed and writhed in pain as the mask seared burning heat onto his face, his mouth and jaw laid bare for his screams.

He dropped to his knees as the pain subsided where the voice spoke again. "I am thou; thou art I. You are willing to perform the sacrilegious arts for my own justice!" Gohan stood up and turned his body to face the shadows surrounding him, his head rising to reveal a grinning face. "Call upon my name! And release my rage!"

Gohan's hands curled into fists as he brought them to his face, a soft chuckle growing behind his wrists.

"Show the strength of your will to ascertain all on your own, as if chained to my domain itself!"

Gohan's cackling grew as he threw his head back to laugh at the sky. "That's enough!" He called out with barely contained glee.

Half of the shadows turned to face Gohan.

His heart gave a powerful beat and a swirl of electricity erupted from his feet, soon surrounding him in a small tornado of blue. Gohan gripped the side of his mask before tugging. "Per…" His efforts gained a tint of red to his fingers. "…So…" Another tug caused blood to stream down his cheek. He gave one final, powerful tug of his mask. "NAAAAAH!" His scream echoed through the apartment block's courtyard as his body became enveloped in dark smoke, the Shadows caught only a small glimpse of a crimson face grinning.

The smoke dissipated in an instant and in Gohan's place towered a grey skinned Majin dressed in purple Gi with a green heart over his chest. He pointed at the shadows. "The one who will judge you is my stand!" He pointed dramatically to his chest. "Demon God Dumplin!"

"I'll say this once…" Dumplin rose into the air, his hands beginning to glow with gray energy. "Stop!"

A shadow charged him and he scoffed. "To think I even gave you a chance! No mercy!" He swung his arm as a ball of energy shot from his fingertips, hurtling into the shadow before disintegrating it.

A second shadow appeared over Dumplin, voring his head.

"Sorry…" Came Dumplin's response, gripping the shadow. "First date rule! No tongue!" He tore the shadow from his body before ripping it in two. "Let's clean this up, shall we?" Dumplin suggested as he raised his hands to his sides. "Advanced…" He charged up Ki energy in his hands before bringing them together and forming a triangle with his palms. "GEOMETRY!" A large beam of gray energy shot from his palms, the shadows caught in its blast turned to dust along with the pile on Sharpner.

Dumplin looked around at the empty courtyard as Sharpner stirred from his unconscious state. "Hail your Demon God!" Dumplin commanded in triumph as he disappeared as the smoke returned, revealing Gohan back in his place, his mask vanishing as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"What happened…?" Sharpner asked drowsily as he sat up.

"Who knows…?" Gohan brushed it off as he and Sharpner walked up to Videl's unconscious body.

Sharpner shook her body gently. "Videl, come on Videl, wake up…" He called out gently.

"Maybe she needs CPR? Like mouth-to-mouth?" Gohan asked.

Sharpner scoffed. "I'm all for it but… Does it look like I have a death wish?" He questioned dryly.

Videl stirred slightly and opened her eye.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." Sharpner greeted her with a grin.

"Don't have a death wish, huh?" Gohan pointed out sarcastically.

"What happened?" Videl asked as she sat up, her hand massaging her head. "The last thing I remember is hitting my head."

"No clue, those things just seemed to disappear. When I came to, Gohan was up and walking to you." Sharpner informed her.

Videl blushed slightly and turned to Gohan. "Thank you, it's sweet that you'd come to me first."

"He also wanted me to give you mouth to mouth." Sharpner added.

"What!?" Her outburst directed at the onyx haired teen.

"Let's just get out of here… This place makes me feel uneasy." Sharpner directed them.

The trio stood at the studio, having found their way back, where they confronted the bear.

"Alright, spill it!" Sharpner growled.

The bear blinked its large brown eyes. "Whaddya want me to say?" It asked in bewilderment. "Just who are you people!?"

"Don't change the subject!" Videl accused.

The bear cowered. "H- Hey, don't yell at me…" It said in fear, its body trembling.

Gohan placed a hand on Videl's shoulder. "Maybe I should take it from here?" He suggested.

Videl sighed before nodding and walking next to Sharpner, her arms folded.

Gohan knelt slightly beside the bear. "Hey, my name's Gohan, what's yours?" He asked softly.

"L- Lime…" It said, turning slightly to the softness of Gohan's voice.

"Alright, Lime, can you tell us what this place is?" Gohan questioned with a kind smile.

"This place… is what it is." Lime replied. "It doesn't have a name… It's my home. If I were you, I'd hurry back home. I've had enough visitors the past few days."

"That's what we've been trying to do from the start!" Sharpner interjected before catching onto what Lime said. "Wait, visitors? What do you mean?"

The bear moved its arms in what looked to be a shrug. "People are coming in here from the other side. I just hope it stops soon; the shadows get angry when others come here. Anyway, you should hurry back."

"Do you have a way for us to get back? We don't know where to go…" Sharpner asked calmly.

Lime looked up enthusiastically. "Ooh, I can help!" It announced. It then stomped the ground and behind the bear appeared a large flat-screen TV. "This will allow you to get back!"

The three approached the TV.

"Did… That bear just pop a TV into existence?" Sharpner asked in shock.

"Does it have Netflux?" Videl asked.

Lime suddenly began pushing them through the TV screen.

"The hell are you doing!?" Videl spat.

"Hey! Whoa! Watch where the hands go, buddy!" Sharpner burst out uncomfortably.

"Please keep your paws and fur inside the glass at all times. We hope you enjoyed your stay in Shadows Ville and hope you do not purchase return tickets." Lime warned as they were pushed through the TV. "I'm beary busy. I need my me time."

The three landed on the ground of Julays.

"We're alive!" Sharpner and Videl announced in unison, hugging each other tightly.

Videl's body pressed up against him. "Uh… Videl…?" Sharpner began meekly.

"Five more seconds…" She murmured wistfully. "And…" Her knee came up to connect with Sharpner's stomach. "Hands off my goods!" Videl said in her usual scorn towards Sharpner, who landed on his backside.

"Why?! Why is it always the ass?" Sharpner cried out in shame, getting to his feet and massaging his butt. He looked around at the store. "Well, I guess that bear really was trustworthy…" He muttered before shaking his head. "Not one of the things I imagined ever saying in my life."

Just then, the store's intercom came to life. "Attention shoppers, our daily limited time sale will now begin at the side dish area on floor one." The female announcer informed the populace.

"Hmm, that sounds like the announcer lady at school…" Gohan wondered aloud.

"You try working with an announcer's salary." The announcer seemed to direct her comment to Gohan.

"Let's leave; I've already seen way too much weird shit today…" Sharpner groaned.

The trio walked down the darkening streets of Satan City when Sharpner stopped, a billboard catching his attention. "Hey guys, look! It's that poster from the other world." He called to them.

The other two backed up to see the same poster. "Hey, isn't that King Furry's wife?" Videl asked. "You know; the guy who had an affair with Miss Racorde?"

"So does that mean…?" Gohan began, placing his index finger across his chin. "That room we saw in the other world with the posters… Could it be related to-?"

Sharpner cut them off. "Nope! Nope! Nope! Not dealing with this!" He walked passed them. "You can continue your discussion. As for me, I'm going home, taking a long… long bath, and then going to phone Chico before calling it a night. You guys can have fun with your extraordinary theories… I'm out!" And with that, Sharpner walked away in the direction of his home, hands in his pocket.

"I… Guess we should call it a night too, it's getting late." Videl pointed out as she looked at her phone. "I'll… Um, see you tomorrow at school." Videl scurried off almost bashfully, not looking up at Gohan.

Gohan arrived home.

"Oh, you're back." Yamcha pointed out in surprise, sitting next to Chiyori as she watched TV, before them sat two pots of precooked ramen.

Gohan almost flopped next to the others, crossing his legs before relaxing.

Yamcha struck up a small conversation with Gohan. "Well… I doubt you'd know, but have you heard of a student named Chico Lee?"

Gohan nodded. "Uh huh, my friend said she wasn't at school today." He replied casually.

Yamcha gave a slight nod, turning his head to his ramen pot. "I see…" He muttered gently before looking back at the teen. "We got a call from her adoptive parents; they think she ran away with a boy, saying something about a blond teen maybe being involved. We've got people looking for them, but we haven't turned up anything…" Yamcha seemed to trail off.

Gohan considered asking to check Sharpner's residence. He gave second thoughts however if Sharpner got arrested, or worse; get worried and search for her himself.

Yamcha rubbed his forehead with his palm, sighing. "Ugh, work just keeps piling up…"

The news anchor caught Gohan's attention. "And now, more on the developments casting a dark shadow over Satan City. Not long ago, Announcer Razio Racorde was found dead deep in the streets of our dear city. Her whereabouts until she was found were unknown. However, the police's efforts have uncovered that she resided in the Kappa Heaven Inn. She had been staying there alone, mainly to avoid others due to recent events."

"Oh yes!" His energetic comrade chimed in. "Kappa Heaven, its hot springs are second to none! Mister Rubber did a fantastic job when he helped renovate the old Orange Star bar into the new inn. His daughter took up a job there, and it seems the owners are thinking of handing the inn off to her eventually as thanks for helping the renovations. If that happens, she will be the youngest manager in recent history."

"Anyway…" The anchor continued after the unwanted commercial. "Onto the weather report. The rain has begun to subside, and from now until morning, heavy fog is reported to cloak the city. Visibility will be severely reduced, so drivers are asked to drive safely and follow the rules of the road." His sight seemed to intensely stare at the camera, as if speaking to the viewer directly. "You have been warned!" He finished.

Chiyori turned to look at Yamcha, her usual blush present. "The ramen is ready now…" She said sweetly.

Yamcha smiled to her and nodded.

The two ripped open their pots to the scent of finely cooked, fast ramen.

Gohan looked at the clock before stretching. "I'm going off to bed." He murmured softly.

Yamcha turned to look at him as he slurped up his ramen into his mouth. "Oh…" He swallowed his food. "Well, have a good rest." He smiled as Chiyori devoured her food.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **"I Am A Shadow! The True Self!"**

The next day, Gohan walked out of his room to see Yamcha grabbing his coat, slinging it over his shoulder. "Alright, I'm off; don't stay up too long if I'm not back." He told Chiyori, who nodded with a cute, cat-like smile.

Yamcha left, sliding the door shut.

"He got a call from work." Chiyori informed Gohan as she packed his and her lunch into their bags. "I packed you some deep fried daigaku-imo. You can share with your friend you mentioned last night." She walked up to him and tiredly held out his bag. "Be sure to bring the container home." She warned.

On the way to school, Gohan overheard two teenage girls gossiping loudly while walking under umbrellas on the rainy day.

"When I looked up, at least three cop cars passed me." One said excitedly. "You live near the police station right? Did you see anything?"

Gohan turned his head slightly to glance back at the girls as the other shrugged. "Not much, just yelling. Such a bore."

Just then, sirens sounded off in the distance.

Gohan decided to ignore the girls and walk on.

The school had formed in assembly during the afternoon in the gym hall due to an announcement. Gohan and Videl stood in the second row with Sharpner behind them.

"Erasa's a no show today, huh?" Sharpner asked, bored as he flipped through his phone.

"She said she had to work today at the inn, must be busy with the reporters and everything trying to get into Miss Racorde's room." Videl replied.

Sharpner sighed. "Still no word from Chico… I'm gonna try call her again. I'm starting to get worried."

"Did you see it last night?" A nearby girl asked her male classmate.

"See what?" He replied impatiently.

"The Midnight Channel, duh!" She retorted.

"I wonder why they're holding an assembly today…" Gohan thought aloud.

"Probably just for the dumb tryouts like they do every year…" Sharpner replied as he took the phone from his ear again. "I'm already in the baseball team so I'm good."

Miss Nertari addressed the students through the gym hall's microphone on the podium. "Please, students, settle down. The school assembly is about to begin." The commotion around the hall died down. "First, Principal Boomblebore has something to say."

She stepped away from the microphone as an old man in his seventies walked up to the microphone, his long, snow white beard hanging to his stomach. "I… regret to inform you that I have a terrible announcement to make. One of our second year students from Class Two Three, Miss Chico Lee… has passed away."

The sound of something breaking sounded behind Gohan, who, along with Videl, turned to see Sharpner's phone smashed on the ground, his hand still up to his ear as his eyes and lower lip quivered.

"Sharpner…" Videl breathed mournfully.

"No…" Sharpner shook his head in shock as Boomblebore went on. "No! This isn't happening…" His pupils seemed to quake in their sockets.

"Miss Lee…" Boomblebore continued. "…Was found deceased earlier this morning, hanging from a telephone pole. The reasons behind her death are being investigated by the police as we speak."

Unable to hear anymore, Sharpner ran from the gym hall, pushing students out of the way as he pushed back tears.

The other two ran after him.

They found him, huddled under Chico's locker in a sitting fetal position, crying into his arms.

"Sharpner…" Videl sat next to him.

"Why her?!" Sharpner sobbed. "Why did it have to be her!?"

Gohan sat adjacent to Videl as she comforted her friend.

"Sh… Sh, it's okay." She said softly, petting his back gently.

"No! It's not! She's dead, Videl!" He cried out, lifting his head to look at her with tear filled eyes. In doing so, he revealed two movie tickets.

"Were they for her?" Gohan asked quietly.

Sharpner nodded. "It was for our date…" His voice trembled like an earthquake. He sniffled slightly. "I saw her…" He said hoarsely.

Videl looked at him. "What do you mean?" She inquired.

"The Midnight Channel…" Sharpner continued. "That night… It was Chico-san…"

"Are you sure?" Gohan asked.

Sharpner's nod was dark and grave. "She looked like she was… writhing and screaming in pain." A silence fell over him for a moment before he spoke again, grim determination in his voice. "I'm going back in!"

"What!?" The two replied in unison.

"You heard what the bear said! People are basically being put in the other world! Chico-san was found the same way as Racorde! Our classmate said he saw Racorde on the Midnight Channel! Both were on the channel and both wound up… I need to make sure!" He stood up. "You're not stopping me!"

With that, Sharpner ran out the school.

"We have to stop him!" Videl exclaimed.

Gohan nodded.

They ran to the Electronics department of Julays to find Sharpner holding two police batons from the store under his arm while fastening an immensely long ball of rope before turning and gauging the rope against a nearby pillar opposite the TV.

"What the hell!?" Videl burst out in outrage.

Sharpner turned, his eyes instantly lighting up. "You guys came!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, you idiot, you could get yourself killed!" Videl growled in hushed tones.

Sharpner shrugged. "We were able to get back once, weren't we?" He asked bluntly. "If we go in the same way we did last time, maybe we'll meet the bear again. It can help us."

"Maybe isn't good enough!" Videl whispered, crossing her arms and pouting.

"I can't just turn away, damn it!" Sharpner's body shook gently. "I can't leave it knowing what I know! I have to! For Chico-san…" He fell quiet.

Videl sighed. "I know…" She breathed.

Sharpner looked to Gohan. "You wouldn't either, right?" He asked.

Gohan, against his better judgment, agreed with Sharpner.

The blonde smiled and nodded. "Good, here…" He took a baton into his hand and handed it to Gohan before handing him another section of the rope. "Take these."

Gohan took the baton and wrapped the rope around his waist as Videl looked on in disbelief. "And how are you going to get back?!" She asked authoritively.

"Simple." Sharpner beamed as he placed the middle-most section of the rope in Videl's hands. "You'll pull us up."

Videl looked from the rope to him. "And how do you expect me to pull two guys, both around six feet, one with a ton of muscle, out of a TV, by myself?"

He gave her a wide smile. "You're a strong girl, you'll figure it out. Those biceps aren't just for show I hope."

"Of course not!" Videl spat defensively.

Sharpner made his way to the TV beside Gohan. "Good, then we have nothing further to discuss." And with that, the two ducked into the TV.

"But what about if…" Videl called after them before the screen became solid and the rope snapped, falling to the ground along with Videl as she dropped to her knees. "That was my next question…" She sobbed into her hands.

Two loud thunks sounded as the two male teens landed on their butts.

"We… really need to put some mattresses down here… or get better at landing…" Sharpner groaned as he rolled to his side before getting to his feet alongside Gohan.

"Agreed…" Gohan muttered as he rubbed his shoulder.

"For the last time!" A voice called out through the fog. "There will be no soliciting the-" Lime appeared through the fog. "Oh, it's you guys… Wait! You're the people who've been throwing people in here, aren't you!?"

Immediately, Sharpner sprang in front of the bear, glaring down at it, shadows over his upper face. "What…" He asked darkly. "…did you just say?"

Lime backed away from the towering blonde. "L- Lately, someone's been throwing people in here…" It explained. "It's causing this world to expand and distort more and more. And the shadows don't seem to like that." The upper part of its eyes narrowed. "And you two seem to come and go as you please, so that must mean you're the culprits." It accused, raising its blue paw to point at them.

It was then that Sharpner lost it, giving into his anger. "Why you little…!" He growled before Gohan held him back from pouncing on the bear.

Lime looked worried and backed away.

"If someone gets thrown in here! They die!" Sharpner growled as he fought against Gohan. "Why the fuck would we throw them in here!?" It was then that Sharpner came to his senses, quelling his rampage. "Wait a minute… All this talk about throwing people inside the TV… Do you mean Chico-san and the announcer? Did someone do that to them?!"

"That might be it…" Gohan agreed.

Sharpner looked from him to the bear. "Let's say you're telling the truth… Could it be that someone's throwing people in here? Intent on killing them?" His eyes fell to the ground. "If that's the case…" He murmured.

Lime stomped the ground angrily. "What are you mumbling about?! Just why are you here!?" It growled. "It's a one way ticket in?! Don't you remember how I had to let you guys out!?"

Sharpner glared at the bear. "You think we need your help!?" he replied angrily. "Lucky for us…" Sharpner held up the rope. "We have a lifeline!"

Gohan's face dropped as he looked at the other teen. "Uh… Sharpner…" He murmured, pointing at the rope.

Sharpner looked from him to the snapped rope before his expression wiped from his face. Untying it from his waist, he tossed it and turned to the bear, a large smile on his face. "So… Bear… About your help…"

His unconvincing smile caused the bear to frown. "Nope, no help until you get my name right!" It said defiantly.

Sharpner in turn frown at its response. "Uh… Berry… No, Kuma? No… Um…" He looked to Gohan for help.

"Lime." Gohan affirmed.

Lime bowed on account of being unable to nod due to its round body. "Now! Prove to me you're not throwing people in here!" It demanded.

"It doesn't work that way…" Gohan replied.

The bear pointed at them again. "Aha! See! So it is you guys!" It announced.

"This is getting us nowhere!" Sharpner growled, growing more and more irritated as time went on. "People have died in our world! Everytime the fog appears, a body turns up! It has to be related to this place… Tell us! If you know anything, tell us now!"

Lime looked at him. "A dead body…? Fog…?" It thought for a moment. "I know when the fog descends on your world, the fog here lifts… The shadows make it really dangerous when the fog clears." It blinked its eyes, as if coming up with an idea. "I get it!" The bear announced.

"Then explain it!" Sharpner was on the verge of exploding in anger. "This bear's pissing me off! What is this place anyway? A TV studio? Is… This the set of the Midnight Channel?"

Lime tilted its body to the side. "What are you talking about?" It asked.

"I'm asking if someone's been filming the people who come in here." Sharpner replied.

"I… Don't get it…" Lime responded uneasily. "This world has always been like this, no one's done this… filming thing."

"It's always been like this?" Gohan asked in intrigue.

"We're not here to humor the damn thing!" Sharpner barked at him.

Ignoring Sharpner, Lime turned to look at Gohan. "Yep, only the Shadows and I."

"Shadows this, shadows that…" Sharpner spat. "For fuck sake… I mean, what the hell even are you?! Why don't you take that damn bear suit off?!" Without another word, he advanced on the bear and pulled on its head, the zipper around its neck popped open and he threw the bear head to the ground. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" He exclaimed.

Inside the bear was a dark, empty space. Sharpner backed away, dropping the bear head close to the body as its hands flailed in alarm. The two teens looked at each other in shock, the blonde having turned pale.

Finding its head, Lime flipped it back onto its body and twisted it back into place. "Well that wasn't very nice!" It said angrily.

"It's hollow…" Gohan breathed gently, visibly shaken.

"Look!" The bear stomped angrily. "I will help you this one time, and since you guys seem to be clueless about whom the culprit is; you can help me find out who did it! …I just want to live here peacefully. Please, just promise me you'll help."

"Deal." Gohan agreed instantly, triggering Sharpner.

"What the hell?! We're supposed to talk that out!" He snapped.

"Oh, well…" Gohan replied. "Let's do what Lime says… or we can stay here… forever… because that bear is our only way out."

Sharpner sighed. "You have a point." He resigned his argument and turned to Lime. "Lead the way."

Lime turned and sniffed the air. "Aha! The scent of the recent person is this way!" It announced before trotting off, leaving Sharpner and Gohan to follow behind; the latter placing his glasses on to see through the fog.

Sharpner paused as the bear lead them to their destination, gazing at the aviator-like glasses the bear had given him. His fingers brushed over the ultra-narrow temples and side-shields woven with nylon threads, he turned the glasses to look at the lenses with its sleek camouflage motifs. "Man, this bear has an eye for detail." He murmured before putting the glasses on. "Oh, wow, the fog's gone… I guess too much TV _is_ bad for your eyesight."

He took a moment to take in his surroundings. "Hey, wait a minute; this is the city's central shopping district… What the hell is going on here?" He followed close by with the others.

"Several weird places have appeared here recently." Lime informed them from behind. "My own world is starting to become foreign to me. I'm so confused…"

Gohan and Sharpner glanced behind them.

"Hey…" Sharpner began. "Why are you walking a car's length away from us?" He asked. "You better not be thinking about high tailing it if something happens. I might invest on a bear skin rug if you do."

Lime looked shocked. "I'd never think of it…" It said in fear. "It's just that… I might get in your way…"

"Why'd it replicate this part of the city?" Sharpner questioned himself.

Lime waved its arms in a shrug. "How should I know? This is reality for the person here."

Sharpner brought his palm up to his face. "Like usual, nothing you say makes sense…" He grumbled before his eyes lit up. "But… Chico-san's liquor store!" He suddenly broke into a sprint.

"Hey! Wait up!" Gohan called after him as he and Lime followed suit.

They caught up to him at a storefront labeled: _Lee Family Liquors_.

"This is it!" Sharpner announced. "Chico-san's store! It's run by her adopted family. Does this mean… Is she here?"

He began walking towards the door, almost trance-like as he reached out to the door.

"Sharpner…?" Gohan whispered uneasily.

Suddenly, a scream came from inside.

"Chico-san!" Sharpner roared before forcing the door open, running inside.

The other two made to follow before being barred by shadows.

"Out of our way!" Gohan growled as Dumplin appeared in his place, quickly dispatching the shadows with his baton before Gohan and Lime ran inside.

They entered into the dimly lit store; lines of booze plastered the walls while tables and chairs lay scattered around the floor.

"Chico-san!" Sharpner called out in the middle of the store. "Where are you!?"

A male voice echoed throughout the store. "I wish Julays would go under!"

Sharpner cast his gaze around the room. " _Misutā Lee_?" He asked.

A female voice responded. "This is all because of that mega-store!"

" _Misu Lee_?" Sharpner breathed in disbelief.

"I can't believe your own sister is working for them!" Mister Lee growled.

"She's working for the enemy! And don't even get me started on her seeing that Pencil boy." Miss Lee said in disgust.

"What… No, stop it!" Sharpner commanded.

"I want to be with him!" Chico's weeping voice echoed throughout the room, causing Sharpner to look up. "I don't want to be Chico Lee, owner of the Lee Liquor store! I want Sharpner-kun to take me away, to give me a better life! He's the only way I can truly be happy…"

"Chico-san…" Sharpner breathed.

Suddenly, laughter came from a dark corner of the store. "Oh, no, whatever will I do now that Chico-san's dead?" A voice called out as a pair of dark goldenrod irises shone in the darkness.

"You! Come out and show yourself!" Sharpner called out to the figure angrily.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to leave you in suspense…" The figure stepped into the light to reveal a buff toned body dressed in combat boots, blue jeans and a purple tank top. The muscular neck framed by two headphones as his long, flowing blonde hair was run through with his fingers. "Now, would I, me?" He finished.

Sharpner looked at a mirror reflection of himself, his brown eyes blinking in disbelief. "What the fuck…?" He breathed.

A jingle came from the radio on the counter. "I'm the Anarchic Angel, watch stretch, pose and sing. I'll show a happy smile but I won't forgive your sins!"

"Now what will you do?" His reflection asked. "Chico-san is gone. You're back to square one. How many years is it now? Years you've lived in your friends shadows? Oh, Erasa; the most beautiful girl in school, all the boys love her… All the girls want to be her!"

"What?! No, I'd never think that!" Sharpner denied defiantly.

His reflection continued. "And then there's Videl; how could you compete with her? Daughter of the most influential man in the city. Junior tournament winner. Works for the police… How could you ever prove as useful as her?"

"Shut up!" Sharpner commanded.

His reflection chuckled. "Who could pay you any attention? All you could do was be the class clown to get attention. But what's this? A sudden idea. None of the others are in a relationship. If you could bag yourself a babe like Chico-san, just think of the gossip about you two."

"No! No! Shut up! I… I wouldn't use her like that! I loved her!" Sharpner yelled.

His reflection's laughter died down before his expression became solemn. "But now she's gone… I'll never feel the same without her…" He produced a handgun from his back pocket. "Now… I have nothing to aspire to…" He placed the barrel of the gun against his temple. "All I have to do… is burn my dread!"

Sharpner's eyes shook. "No! Dammit! You're… YOU'RE NOT ME!"

His reflection's eyes gleamed as his laughter returned. Without delay, he pulled the trigger. However, no blood came out. Shadows seeped from his wound and soon engulfed his body. All the while, his maniac laughter drummed into their ears until a gust of wind tossed Sharpner across the room, slamming him into a glass freezer. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

Gohan turned back to the shadowy figure.

"I am a shadow! The true self!" Shadow Sharpner announced as the Shadow burst from the darkness, revealing a pitch black horse with red eyes and smokes of fire coming from his mouth. Atop the horse sat a warrior clad in black, sinisterly crafted, spiked armor. His face covered by a hawk beaked helmet with its eyes and mouth cut out. "And I will destroy everything that surpasses me!"

He turned his brown eyes and unsheathed a large, menacing slab of metal from his back before lifting the tip to point at Gohan, its blade gleaming in the pale light. "Starting with you!"

The dark haired teen picked up Sharpner's baton from the floor before Dumplin appeared, twirling the two batons in his hands before taking up a battle stance.

A low growl came from Dumplin's foe as bright white aura surrounded the Shadow, causing the lights to flicker on and off and the nearby radio to kick in, playing Godsmack's _I Stand Alone_ as the horse charged.

Dumplin jumped to the left as the glint of Shadow Sharpner's broadsword flashed, cutting through several beer kegs before Dumplin shoulder charged the horse, knocking it and its rider out of the store through the wall.

Shadow Sharpner let out a roar as Dumplin walked out of the store, his round eyes fixed on the rider.

"Dammit! Don't underestimate me!" Shadow Sharpner exclaimed as his horse galloped towards the grey Majin. His broadsword flashed several more times, clashing against Dumplin's batons, sparks erupting from the strikes as Dumplin flipped and jumped away from the Shadow.

Dumplin shot towards the rider, his fist drawn back.

"Griffith!" Shadow Sharpner ordered.

His horse reared its head before opening its maw. A jet of angry fire erupted from its throat, pushing Dumplin away from his attack.

"Good boy!" Shadow Sharpner petted his steed's mane softly before turning back to where Dumplin stood. "What!?" He exclaimed as Dumplin disappeared from sight. Griffith turned and twisted from his rider's commands as the Shadow looked back and forth for his gray adversary. "Show yourself!" He ordered.

"Get dumped!" A cry called out above them.

Shadow Sharpner looked up as Dumplin hurtled to the ground, his hands clasped together before bring them down hard on Griffith's head, hitting the exact spot when the brain was located. "Griffith!" His rider breathed before the horse fell to his side, trapping his rider's leg under his body.

"Don't mess… with the Dump!" Dumplin celebrated, flexing his arms to an invisible crowd.

Shadow Sharpner pulled his leg from under his steed before crawling to the head of thrashing Griffith. "Griffith…?" He whispered, petting the black mane of the horse. Tears glistened under his helmet as his scream of anguish reached to the heavens.

The Shadow sniffed as he took his blade into his hand. "Forgive me…" He wept before plunging the sword down into the horse's skull, ending its misery while the flames from its throat traveled up the blade, igniting his sword as he stood up. "So… You want me to get serious?" He growled as he turned to the Majin, lifting his blazing slab to point the tip at Dumplin. His fingers curling around the hilt as his eyes narrowed and fixed on his foe. "You're going down!"

"Yak! Yak! Yak!" Came Dumplin's laughter.

Shadow Sharpner charged Dumplin, swinging his blade from side to side as Dumplin fought to block it. Tongues of flame licked the air and sparks shot skyward as the two traded blows until Shadow Sharpner gripped Dumplin's arm, tossing him to the ground before plunging his weapon down.

Dumplin rolled to the side and the blade embedded itself into the concrete. Shadow Sharpner growled and ripped the broadsword from the stone before continuing his onslaught.

Dumplin backflipped away from him down the street and pressed his back against a wall as Shadow Sharpner advanced on him. "I think it's about time you got crushed!" He growled before swinging his metallic slab horizontally above his head.

Dumplin looked up to see a chunk of a tower above him slide down a cleanly cut slope before plummeting down onto him. "Now…" He turned his back to the grave and began walking back to the store. "Time to deal with that other p-" His monologue was cut short as a rock hit him from behind.

Shadow Sharpner bent his neck to the side as the crack of his bones against his marrow echoed through the street. "You should have stayed under…" He growled as he tightened his grip on his broadsword's hilt. He turned as a boot connected with his helmet, sending him sliding onto the ground.

Dumplin landed in a crouch as Shadow Sharpner picked himself up. His hand ripped off his helmet to reveal bruised sky blue skin. "You dick! You're seriously pissing me off…" He growled as his long, flowing white hair shifted in the light wind, a black streak fell over his face to form a bang.

He sheathed his burning blade onto his back before taking up a martial arts stance.

Dumplin and Shadow Sharpner charged at one another, clashing together as their fists blurred; shockwaves from the impact of their traded blows shook the ground around them.

Shadow Sharpner's fist collided with Dumplin's jaw before his hand gripped the back of the Majin's head. The Shadow growled before using his momentum to drag Dumplin's face through the ground before front flipping and throwing him into the ground, leaving a crater in the street.

Shadow Sharpner spread his arms wide as two red spheres of energy formed over his palms. His feet left the ground as he arose into the air. "Who does this Fool think he is!?" He growled. "I'll show him! I'll reduce this entire block to ash!"

Dumplin lay in the center of the crater, his arms laid out over his head with his body limp.

"Cosmic…" Shadow Sharpner raised his hands over his head, joining his energy orbs together as the combined ball began to expand. "Ruin…" Soon, he held a towering sphere over his head, the miniature sun sparked and shone before he threw it down. "Burst!"

The sphere bore down on Dumplin before his eyes snapped open. "MASAKO!" He screamed has he pushed forward, a large beam of light shooting from his hands and colliding with the ball of energy.

"What!" Shadow Sharpner exclaimed in frustration.

"Kaio…" Dumplin began, pushing off the ground to his feet.

"No…" Shadow Sharpner said hesitantly.

"Ken…" Dumplin raised his head to look at the gray beam repelling the sphere.

"No, no!" Shadow Sharpner replied defiantly.

"Times…" Dumplin's grin grew as he felt energy build in his back.

"Enough!" The Shadow yelled as his armor grew in size to compensate his growing muscles.

He pushed into the sphere, forcing it down to collide with Dumplin, whose shocked expression was soon hidden by the mushroom cloud the sphere created.

Shadow Sharpner breathed heavily as his feet touched solid, cracked ground again.

His ears perked up as he heard footsteps behind him.

"Impossible!" He growled as he turned to the burly silhouette walking through the smoke.

The smoke began to clear to reveal the blonde strands of hair blowing in the soft wind.

Shadow Sharpner smirked. "Come to meet your demise head on? I should have known!" He unsheathed his broadsword and held it over his shoulder, walking intently towards his target.

Sharpner stood there, his eyes fixed on his Shadow self as Gohan appeared through the smoke, bruised and bleeding from his temple.

"Sharpner!" He called out in concern as his friend began walking towards the Shadow.

Shadow Sharpner's grin widened as he swung his slab towards Sharpner, its gleaming blade now inches from his neck.

"You're right…" Sharpner sighed.

Suddenly, Shadow Sharpner staggered back as if hit with an invisible fist. "What?!" He breathed in disbelief.

Sharpner continued his march towards himself. "I did want to be noticed… Hell, I still do. Yeah… I secretly wanted people to talk about Chico-san and I being together… But I did love her even if I was using her for that."

Shadow Sharpner clutched at his chest as his body began glowing. "NO! THIS CAN'T HAPPEN!" He wailed.

"BUT SO WHAT!?" Sharpner shouted at his Shadow, his fist clenched. "For me! She was perfect! For all my flaws, she cared for me when no one else would! I know I'm a douchebag! But her happiness was what I cared for! SO GO ON! KILL ME! SEE IF I CARE!"

Shadow Sharpner's body convulsed and distorted as his screams filled the air before his body broke apart, revealing a pale blue skinned Angel shrouded in light. His shoulder-length white hair draped behind his shoulders while his sapphire blue eyes looked down at Sharpner while a red armband clung to his bicep.

"I am the Angel, Sawaa; you have faced yourself and unveiled the mask you hide behind. I shall go with you, lending my wits and strength." His body glowed before disappearing, in his place floated a black upper skull mask.

The blonde reached out before the mask repeated the same process that Gohan went through. His agonized screams filled the destroyed street while Gohan and Lime watched on from a safe distance away.

Sharpner turned to the two. "So…" He began. "You saw the monster for what he truly is…"

Gohan walked up next to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. "To be fair…" Gohan consoled him. "He did kick my ass."

Sharpner hung his head. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." He apologized in defeat.

Gohan shrugged. "Hey, I'm kidding. Come on, we should head back. Don't want to keep Videl waiting, right?" He gave the blonde a cheery smile. "Besides, everyone has something they don't want others to see." He held out Sharpner's baton.

Sharpner sighed as he took his baton back. "I guess you're right… Kami, when he transformed, I could feel the energy being sucked out of me…" He paused for a moment. "Is… That what happened to Chico-san?" He trailed off as they walked back.

"I think so…" Lime piped up from behind them. "The shadows here were originally the concept of humans. When the fog clears on this side, they go bearzerk… Then you saw what happens next…"

"So that's why people die on this side…" Gohan murmured in contemplation.

Sharpner suddenly grunted and held his side; a bloodstain from the impact of hitting glass was visible under his arm as he stumbled.

"We need to get you back." Gohan said urgently before he guided him back to the studio where they began.

"This world isn't meant for humans, Sharpner-sensei's Shadow emerging weakened him too. He'll need to rest for a while after returning." Lime warmed them.

"I'll live!" Sharpner grunted as he stumbled slightly, ripping off a piece of his tank top and tying it around his waist, covering the wound.

"Lime, if anyone else gets thrown in here…" Gohan began. "Is there a way we can save them?"

Lime thought for a moment as they walked. "Maybe, you'd have to do it on this side though. And I'd have to know their scent to track them."

"It won't mean jack-shit unless we find the guy who's been doing this!" Sharpner growled in pain. "We have to find the son of a bitch and make him stop!"

"Think I'm starting to get a grip on how things are working here…" Gohan pointed out.

"Great… now keep walking!" His blonde comrade commanded.

"If Shadows were born from humans…" Lime murmured to itself. "Where was Lime born?"

"You say something, Lime?" Sharpner asked.

It replied with another question. "Will… You guys come back here?"

"We made a promise, didn't we?" Came Sharpner's response.

Lime's mouth curled into a happy smile. "Just come in from the same place you came in from, otherwise you may end up somewhere completely different. I'll be waiting for you to come back."

Five minutes later, Sharpner and Gohan fell out of the TV back into Julays.

Videl's gasp caught them by surprise as they looked up to see tears streaming down her face. "Y- You g- guys!" She sniffed angrily. "You're back!" She ran up and hugged Sharpner, causing him to wince at the pressure to his wound. "You stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" She cried into his shirt, banging on his chest with the balls of her fist.

"Videl… Hey, it's okay… We're back." Sharpner whispered to her, petting her hair gently in concern.

"You're…" Videl sniffed as she looked up at him. "You're bleeding…" Her eyes shook with worry.

"It's just a flesh wound…" He consoled her. "Let's just say I didn't agree with myself in there."

Videl wiped away her tears as more came down her face. "You're going to the hospital right now with me, mister!" She said authoritively, grabbing his forearm and pulling him away from the electronics department. Gohan followed closely behind.

The three filed into the back of a taxi cab. Sharpner sat beside Videl, his wound next to her while Gohan sat on the other side. "The Satan Municipal Hospital please." Videl told the driver before handing her Zeni to him.

"You dumbass!" Videl whispered to Sharpner. "You go off without me and come back looking like this? I had no idea what to do when the rope snapped! I was so worried! Oh, don't you ever worry me like that again!" She buried her face in Sharpner's bicep, sobbing gently. "I'm just happy you're okay…" She whispered softly.

Gohan waiting for an hour or two outside Sharpner's room in the hospital while Videl watched over Sharpner. He had cleaned himself off in the bathroom, his once bloodied and dirtied face now clean and a little bruised.

The sun had begun to disappear over the horizon as Videl walked out, her hands gripping the blonde's tightly.

"Videl, I said I'm fine." Sharpner murmured.

"The doctor stitched you up and all you can say is you're fine?" Videl scowled. "You're lucky no permanent damage to your muscles or tendons were done!"

Sharpner looked at Gohan. "Hey, I'm gonna take Videl home, then go home and relax. You can go on after we talk." He turned his head to Videl. "Go wait in the atrium, Gohan and I will be out shortly."

Videl eyed the two before hugging Sharpner gently. "Don't get into anymore fights until you're healed!" She ordered.

Sharpner patted her head gently. "I promise, Videl. Now, go on. I need to talk to Gohan."

Videl walked off, glancing at Gohan as she passed him before disappearing around the corner.

"So what is it you-" Gohan asked before Sharpner held up his hand.

"Videl!" He called out.

"Oh fine!" Came her response from around the corner.

They waited a minute longer to make sure she had gone.

"I want to thank you… for helping me in there." Sharpner began. "Yeah, all you heard was true, I wanted desperately to be seen, not just by others… but Videl… and Erasa. I also wanted to be useful, I hear all these things about how good Videl is at helping the cops and I'm just sitting there… just this muscular joke of a jock with nothing better to do with his life than feed off the fame of his father. I want to be more than that."

Gohan listened as Sharpner continued.

"So… I've decided I'm going to commit to Lime's promise, I'll find the one responsible and I'll bring justice to Chico-san!"

Gohan nodded.

"If someone is using that world as a weapon…" Sharpner continued. "That's unforgivable! We need to find the culprit… no matter the cost!" He held out his right hand. "So what do you say? Partners?" He asked with a smile.

Gohan took his hand. "Partners!" He agreed.

Their biceps tensed as they shook hands, revealing Gohan's muscles under his shirt. If the reader began thinking that an eighties action movie bromance track would play in the background, they were wrong.

Later that evening, after trading phone numbers with Sharpner to keep in contact, Gohan walked down the rain drenched street, passing a park with wooden red pavilion Japanese gazebo.

A sudden sound caught his attention. He noticed Erasa sitting in a beautiful spring bud green kimono under the protection of the roof. She noticed him and beckoned him over with a smile.

Gohan let down his umbrella as he sat next to her. "You look… different." He pointed out nicely.

Erasa blushed. "Oh, that's right. It must seem strange to see a girl like me dressed so formally. The inn sent me out on an errand to collect some supplies." She motioned to a small package laid on the table next to them. "I just wanted to rest a little before going back." She turned to him. "So how are you settling into city life? Sharpner isn't giving you any hassle, is he?"

Gohan shook his head. "Not at all, in fact he's the one who's been the most helpful."

Erasa smiled at her feet. "That's surprising… he's always tough around other guys when Videl and I are around. Though Videl is usually by my side." She took a gentle and graceful breath. "Videl… Wasn't too rough on you, was she? I'm sorry I always leave early and never get a chance to talk to you, but I do have a job to go to."

Again, Gohan shook his head. "It's okay, I understand you're busy and… Nope…" He decided to leave out the part about Sharpner in the hospital.

"Um… What's it like out in the country? I've… always wondered about it." Erasa asked with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"You've never been out of the city?" Gohan asked.

Erasa shook her head. "No, I've been living here since I was born. I'd like to go out there one day, the miles of mountains, the birds and animals running free… Oh, it sounds so romantic."

Gohan smiled at her fairytale version of romance.

"Sharpner…" Erasa whispered gently before looking to Gohan. "He's very supportive. It's always him and Videl that give me the extra push I need. She gave me the courage I needed to break up with an old boyfriend and Sharpie was there to comfort me. We all had the same homeroom for the last few years, ever since Sharpner showed up…" She gave a tiny giggle. "I remember we used to cut class and go here…"

She gave a small sigh. "One day Videl found me crying on the steps over there…" She beckoned over to a small flight of steps leading to monkey bars and slides. "I found the cutest little husky puppy, his fur was singed and he was terribly underfed… I had to do something but I knew my dad and mom wouldn't let a stray into our home. I was so scared Spike wouldn't find a home… Oh that's the husky's name, Spike Spiegel… Don't look at me like that."

Erasa's phone beeped and she jumped in surprise.

"I think that's my cue…" She stood up and picked up her package and umbrella. "It was nice talking to you; I'll see you tomorrow at school."

With that, Erasa bowed and walked away as Gohan grabbed his umbrella.

Back home, Chiyori checked her watch.

"Mister Yamcha's late…" She sighed as she watched Idol rerun commercials, the red haired idol presenting the Capsule Corp energy drink again.

Just then, the news cut in on screen.

"Hey!" Chiyori pouted at the screen. "I was watching that!"

"More news on the recent crimes that have taken place in Satan City." The anchor announced. "At around seven thirty in the morning, Chico Lee's body was discovered in a similar fashion to the first victim, Radio Racorde, in Satan City's residential area."

Gohan looked up from his books at the TV.

"Miss Racorde was found by Miss Lee. As of now, the Satan City Police Department is working under the assumption that the cases might be linked and that there may be a serial murderer present. The coroner's report has established that the time of death of Miss Lee was close to one thirty last night. Heavy fog had obscured resident's sight from seeing the harrowing sight until the next morning."

"Another incident…?" Chiyori asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Gohan looked to his sister. "I'll be here with you." He said to comfort her.

Her reaction was expected. Her blushing and pouting face turned to him. "I can kick the bad guys butt myself!" She declared.

Gohan smiled and nodded. "Just don't g-"

"Go looking for trouble. I know." She reassured with a wide smile.

She turned back to the TV as a traditional, structurally sound, Japanese building towered over the camera.

"The Kappa Heaven Inn, located in the middle of Satan City, is one of the city's oldest and most beloved structures since long before the city's name change. This hotel is known for having the best hot springs and customer service from here to West City and Red Ribbon City. After the incident with Miss Racorde, the manager stepped aside, leaving her youngest employee, Erasa Pynk-Rubber, to fill in for her."

Just then, the camera swerved to show Erasa walking towards the front door.

"In other words, she's a manager who's still in high school."

With that, the cameraman and reporter dashed towards Erasa, calling out to her.

"Excuse me! Miss Pynk-Rubber!" The reporter called earnestly.

Erasa turned in fright before her shock turned to confusion. "Y-yes?" She asked unsurely.

"We heard you're the new manager, are you still in high school?" The reporter insisted on asking.

Erasa looked at him before averting her eyes from the camera. "I'm only standing in…" She murmured bashfully. "Pl- please point the camera somewhere else, it makes me uncomfortable…"

The cameraman continued to train his camera lens on the teen's smooth face.

"Someday though…" The reporter continued before looking her up and down. "May I just say; that is a lovely kimono you're wearing. Do you have any male visitors?"

Erasa gasped at his question. "I… How dare you!" Her voice shook slightly at the shock of what she heard. Her left hand moving up slightly before remaining at her side as she fixed the man with a glare. "I suggest you leave peacefully and quietly before I call the police." Her voice grew dark as her eyes narrowed slightly.

The cameraman looked from her to the reporter as he brought the microphone back up to his mouth.

"Boss, I think it's best if we leave it." The cameraman spoke behind the camera.

The reporter looked to him and sighed as he came to the same realization. "Alright, fine."

The camera shut off as Erasa's phone rang while she walked back to the Inn.

"This is boring…" Chiyori stood up and walked passed Gohan. "I'm going to do the dishes."

Gohan slipped of his chair and began helping Chiyori.

That night, Gohan stood at his window at the rain-soaked streets while his TV showed the news behind him.

"In other Satan City-related news, meteorologists speculate heavy fog throughout the remainder of the year. This is to be the first in many years since this much fog has blanketed our good city. The reasons behind the climate change are unknown as of this date. Whatever the reasons, citizens of Satan City, both vehicular adept and those not, are asked by the city's mayor to take care on the streets."

The clock stuck midnight and the TV immediately turned off, casting a faint golden glow into his room. Gohan turned to see the Midnight Channel had appeared on his screen, in the middle stood a black silhouette of a person. The image appeared out of focus, but the silhouette appeared to be that of a woman.

Gohan raised his hand and looked at his palm before rubbing the back of his head. "It's… probably best if I don't do that again…" He muttered to himself. He made a mental note to speak to Sharpner about this tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **"She's Too Valuable a Pet to Let Off Her Leash."**

Sharpner skated up beside Gohan on the way to school the next morning. Hopping off as he stomped on the end of it to launch the board into the air before he caught it in his hands.

"S'up?" He asked. "So, you saw it last night too, right?"

Gohan nodded.

"Good, if someone shows up on the TV, we can't ignore it." Sharpner declared. "We'll get the son of a bitch who's doing this. Let's go in after school. Lime should be able to tell us more."

"No one else can do it." Gohan assured him. "It has to be us."

Sharpner gave a serious yet happy smile. "Cool… It's reassuring to hear someone else say that." He paused slightly. "I tried putting part of myself in the TV last night, y'know, like you did. And guess what, it worked. I guess you rubbed off on me…" He thought on what he just said. "No! Not like that!" He affirmed defiantly. "Anyway, as long as you're with me, I feel like we have a chance at catching whoever did this… All we can do is fight on to find them!"

Gohan smiled at him, even after everything that has happened, he admired his friend's resolve to find the culprit. "We should get to class soon." He reminded as he checked his watch.

Sharpner nodded. "Sure thing, Partner."

The two walked on side by side, a faint bond forming between the two.

They sat in their seats, Sharpner tossing a baseball into the air before catching it in his hands while Gohan took out his books in preparation for class.

Just then, Videl ran into the room, a panicked look on her almost pale face. "Erasa!?" She called out.

"Nope, just us." Sharpner informed her.

"Dammit!" She growled irritated.

"Well, fuck you too…" The male responded in kind.

She stumbled her way breathlessly toward her two male classmates, barely able to stand from exhaustion.

"Whoa! Hold up, Videl." Sharpner said as he almost fell off his chair trying to keep her from falling. "If it's about yesterday, I promise I'll buy you the entire stock of Julay's Ceaser Salad to make it up to you."

Videl pushed him away gently. "Nevermind that! Is Erasa not here?" She asked urgently.

Gohan looked at her. "Erasa? No… At least not that we've seen." He informed her.

Videl began shifting her weight from one leg to the other nervously. "What should I do?" She asked; her voice laced with worry. "Hey, that stuff you were talking about, is it for real? Y- Y'know, the stuff about people showing up on the Midnight Channel being related to the Shadow Realm?"

Sharpner nodded. "We were talking about that, we're thinking about going in again." He commented nonchalantly.

"The person on the TV last night…" Videl gave a momentary pause as a bead of sweat appeared on her forehead. "I think it was Erasa."

Sharpner looked at her intently.

"The kimono the silhouette was wearing looked like the one Erasa wears while working at the inn, and she wore it on that interview last night too. I got worried, so I called and texted her last night, but she hasn't responded." Videl had become more and more anxious as time went on, almost hyperventilating. "I called her earlier in the evening though, and she said she'd be here today."

Sharpner placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "Calm down, we get the picture. You still haven't heard from her?" He asked calmly.

She shook her head. "N- No…" She informed with a soft stutter.

Sharpner sat Videl down between him and Gohan before quickly summarizing everything that happened in the Shadow Realm.

Videl was now even more shaken. "W- What do you mean?" She asked in fear. "Are y- you saying Erasa was thrown into the Shadow Realm?"

Sharpner shook his head flatly. "We don't know that for sure." He consoled her. "We should check to see if she's okay first." He took out his phone and dialed Erasa's number.

"Why do you have her contact as 'Cute Princess'?" Videl questioned him.

"Not important…" Sharpner groaned as the phone vibrated.

"What's mine?" She asked defensively.

Just then, a voice spoke through the phone as the three looked at the screen.

"Hello? Erasa speaking. "Is that you Sharpie? You know I can't flirt at work." Her giggle came through the phone as Videl bonked Sharpner on the head.

"Ow!" He exclaimed irritably. "Quit doing that!"

"Erasa!" Videl called through the phone. "Where have you been? I've been trying to get a hold of you since last night! I was so worried something happened."

"Delly?" Erasa gulped through the receiver. "I've just been busy with the Inn, there's a lot going on right now with all that's happened. There's a big reservation too so I'm kinda stretched thin, but I have some time now. I promise I'll call you after school… And please stop hurting Sharpie, I heard him yell in pain and you're the only one who makes him do that."

Videl breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, I'll talk to you after school and…" She glanced over at Sharpner. "No promises." She finished.

"Try." Erasa commented. "And put Sharpie on the phone. I wanna talk to him for a bit."

Sharpner took the phone and took it off speaker, placing it to his ear as he got up and walked away for some privacy. "Hi, Rase… Yeah, I'm fine. The news just… Shocked me is all…" His voice began trailing away.

"Dumbass got me worried over nothing!" Videl huffed as she held her head up with her elbows on the desk. She turned her head slightly to look at Gohan, who was giving her a concerned look. "What!?" She demanded.

"Are you always that hard on him?" He asked. "Why did you hit him just because Erasa picked up the phone?"

"Doofus just gets on my nerves sometimes." She admitted. "He has this way of just annoying the hell outta me and I wanna punch his dumb face in. And it doesn't help when Erasa pays him attention; it makes me wanna punch him even more."

Gohan looked from her to his hands and back to her. "Are you jealous?" He asked.

Videl looked at him with a red tint growing on her cheeks. "HELL NO, STUPID! AS IF!" She yelled at him angrily.

Gohan leaned back in his seat as she leaned over him, her glare seeming to penetrate into his very soul. "Okay…" He chirped meekly.

Sharpner came back and sat down next to them.

"So, what did she say?" Videl asked, still in a bad mood from Gohan's accusations.

"Just worried how I was holding up after Chico-san's… death. I told her not to worry." He confided in them.

"We do worry though, Sharpner…" Videl breathed, her hand rubbing his back to comfort him while he stared pensively at the chalkboard, his eyes narrowed at the dark space while his hands supported his chin.

"Let's meet up at Julays after school." He ordered. "The sooner we get on this case the better."

Mister Moroono addressed the class as it began. "Alright, you little shits; sit down!" He ordered, smacking his Shit List book against his table. "It's eight A.M and I got six hours o' bitching to do!"

"New kid!" Moroono called out to Gohan, who immediately stood up. "Since you're from Mount Paozu, maybe you could tell us how fast it would be to get from here to there in twenty minutes."

"Hey! What the hell?" Sharpner called out. "How's he meant to know something like t-" He was cut off as Gohan took a deep breath before answering.

"Since the distance is six hundred and twenty one point three hundred and seventy one miles between the two locations, more specifically from the roof of our school. One would need to travel at least Mach two point forty four thousand and eighty nine… or one thousand eight hundred and sixty four point one hundred and thirteen miles per hour to cover that distance. It would take a jet five hours to travel the same distance, with the jet only going one hundred and twenty four point two hundred and seventy four miles per hour."

The class blinked at the dark haired teen as he sat down and hid his face behind his books.

Later, the school bell rang and everyone began packing.

"Hey!" Moroono yelled, directing the students to sit back down. "The bell doesn't dismiss you! I do!" The students ceased their packing. And with that, Moroono took his suitcase into his hand and walked out the door. "Suckers…" He muttered under his breath.

Gohan, Sharpner followed Videl down to the first floor of the school. "So did you see that hot kimono Erasa was wear- Oof!" Sharpner's question was cut short as Videl's foot embedded itself into his stomach, relieving him of his breath as he collapsed onto the ground.

"Oh, Sharpner, you really should watch where you're walking." Videl sighed.

"W… Why…?" Sharpner whined from the ground as Videl walked off and a teen with long, blue, untamed hair tied in a ponytail and crimson eyes approached from behind.

"Yo, you okay, Sharpner?" He asked as he nudged him with his foot.

"Get bent, Balla…" He groaned.

Balla laughed before Gohan caught his attention. "Hey, new guy, right?" He asked as he winked at the teen. "Name's Balla Piiza, can I have a minute of your time?"

Gohan looked from him to Sharpner and back again. "I'm… kinda busy…" He excused.

"You sure?" Balla continued excitedly. "It's about basketball."

Gohan's ears perked up. "Oh, well then, let me rephrase that…" He turned his back to Balla and began walking away. "Bye."

Sharpner stumbled to his feet. "And before you ask; sorry bro, I'm preoccupied at the moment." He informed his friend with a pat on the back before limping away.

"Oh… Okay, later then? I'll be waiting." Balla called after them hopefully.

The two males discussed in detail what happened last night in the Shadow Realm, leaving the part about Sharpner's inner thoughts out of the equation, culminating in them arriving in the crowded department store.

"Geez, why are there so many people here now?" Videl asked out loud.

"Videl, it's the most successful department store in the city." Sharpner spoke, dripping with sarcasm. "Why the hell do you think they're here?"

"Jerk!" Retorted Videl.

"Says the one who winded me in school." Sharpner responded before turning to the TV. "Anyway, we need to find out what's going on inside…" He turned his head left and right to check if anyone was watching while the others flanked him. "If I can just get that bear's attention…" He slipped his hand through the TV and began moving it on the other side.

Suddenly, there was a loud crunch and Sharpner recoiled his hand back from the TV screen. "Son of a bitch!" He stifled his pain as he gripped his hand.

"What?" The other two replied in unison. "What happened?"

"Bastard bit me!" He growled, revealing bright red bite marks on his knuckles.

"Whoa, that looks like it hurts." Videl said before balling her fist. "That dumb bear must have done it! No one hurts my punching bag!"

"Gee, thanks. I feel so loved…" Sharpner muttered dryly.

Sharpner leaned closer to the TV. "Bite me again, Lime!" He growled lowly. "We'll see if your fur makes a good material for a new coat!"

"Ooh, is this a game?" Lime asked excitedly from the other side. "I heard some humans liked the action of biting another's body."

"Not! In! This! Sense!" Sharpner barked with emphasis. "Can you sense anyone over there?!"

Sounds of sniffs came from the other side. "Who's anyone? I'm just here on my lonesome." Lime responded.

"Are you sure, Lime?" Gohan whispered softly.

An affirmative hum came from the other side. "I tell no lies. My nose knows all." It reassured.

Videl sighed in soft frustration before looking at the boys. "I'm going to warn Erasa anyway." She informed them. "Since she's busy at the inn, I doubt she'll be alone at all… But still…"

Sharpner turned and nodded to her. "Sure, walk home with her on Monday, alright?"

Videl nodded. "I won't let her out of my sight." She assured.

"Midnight Channel tonight?" Gohan asked the two, who nodded.

"If anything happens, my cell will be on." Sharpner informed him. "Let's just hope this is all a misunderstanding."

"Hey, Sharpner-Sensei, what's it like over that s-" Lime asked from the other side.

"Can't talk, gotta go." Sharpner responded as he began walking off.

Lime huffed. "Well, how very rude of you to cut me off mid sent-"

Later that night, as rain pelted against the ground and windows of nearby houses, Yamcha stood under a streetlight as he investigated a closed off scene with an umbrella covering his body, keeping his black suit, gray shirt and cherry red tie safe from the rain. Other policemen, along with Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, walked around the scene, discussing evidence and what they would do afterwards.

Puar ran up in an all white raincoat covering his white shirt and pinstriped waistcoat, along with a matching loose tie. Around the buckle of his faded brown trousers were a multitude of pouches and clamps for his various police gadgets, and he also wore a shoulder rig with a cross-draw holster for his sidearm. "Looks like we've found all we're gonna find here, Yamcha." He said almost tiredly. "And we still have nothing that points to anyone as a suspect."

Yamcha grumbled as he rubbed his five o'clock shadow with his free hand. "We still have no idea if this is a homicide…" He reminded Puar.

"What else could it be?" The junior detective asked. "There's no way a body could end up like that on accident."

Yamcha pinched his nose. "…I know." He breathed. "We haven't found the cause of death for the first victim… and now we've got a highschool girl in the same way. If this is a murder case, there's no doubt we're dealing with one person. But if that's true… What the hell is going on?"

Puar reached under his hood to scratch his blue hair behind his ears. "You know, I thought this spun out from that love triangle on the news…"

Yamcha shook his head. "No… Queen Furry has a solid alibi. She was visiting the president of Capsule Corporation. Her phone records and triangulation prove it. And remember, she was the reason that information was made public because she reported it to the media. No one would blatantly put themselves under suspicion if murder was on their mind."

Puar sighed and hung his head. "Got a point there." He groaned.

Just then, Tien and Chiaotzu approached them, having been listening as they worked. "Not to mention King Furry." Tien chimed in with his gruff voice from under his transparent gray umbrella, his shiny blonde head glistening under the streetlight as he rubbed his eye tattoo. "No matter how much we shake him down, we can't link him to anything."

"He's been working in the city for the past six months." Chiaotzu reminded.

Yamcha nodded. "He was here recently because of the scandal, but swamped with work back home at the time of the incident. There are eye witnesses and other evidence placing him at his family office at the time of Miss Racorde's death."

Tien picked up where Yamcha left off. "And we can't find anything showing Miss Racorde making contact with him before or after her disappearance."

Puar pondered a moment. "He did recently take up a new job since his departure from office. He's practically as much as a victim as that Racorde woman."

Chiaotzu nodded his head. "Yeah, I agree." He muttered solemnly under his pitch black umbrella.

"Moving on…!" Yamcha growled scornfully to the two junior's immaturity. "There's the second case, regarding Chico Lee." He turned to Tien. "Have you questioned her parents?"

Tien nodded. "They have a solid alibi and vouched for their son too."

Yamcha looked to the raining clouds before looking back down. "She's the one who discovered the corpse. But I don't see shutting her up to be a potential motive. She died way later after reporting the body and the culprit didn't hide her. Like they were meant to be found… Sick bastard."

Chiaotzu looked through his notes under his cover from the rain. "The only other connection is that she attended the same school with the girl managing the Kappa Heaven Inn, where Miss Racorde was hold up at."

"That hardly points to a motive now, does it?" Puar asked. "Coincidences like that are common around a well known city like this."

Chiaotzu pocketed his book and looked up at Tien. "How's this?" He began. "Maybe there was something about the body that only Chico Lee knew of? And the culprit killed her to keep it from leaking out!"

Tien shrugged, causing a lot of built up residue rain on his umbrella to fall off. "Either way, all we can do now is keep investigating anyone involved with the victims. Our man has to be someone in Satan City!"

Yamcha looked to Tien. "Tien, have you questioned the Pencil kid yet? Weren't people saying she was dating him or something?"

Tien shook his head. "Not yet, he'll probably be at her funeral on Tuesday, we can question him afterwards. And from what I hear, they weren't dating but there was some degree of romance between the two."

Puar looked from Tien to Yamcha. "Oh, are your detective intuitions kicking in finally?" He asked in a jester tone.

Yamcha rounded on him. "Dammit, Puar! This isn't the time or the place for your jokes!" He growled angrily.

Sharpner stood at his bedroom window, drinking from a soda can and looking out at the almost calming rain as it splashed against the glass, causing the outside to appear to ripple.

He turned as the Midnight Channel appeared, bathing the room in a warm golden glow. He sighed as he sat down on the end of his bed, slumped forward lazily and taking a final chug of the last contents of the soda can. His gaze focused on the figure on the TV and his heart sank as a shiver ran down his spine.

On the screen, dressed in a honeydew white ball gown with a silver tiara, smiled Erasa holding a microphone in her emerald green gloved hands. "Good evening!" She announced happily. "Tonight, Princess Erasa has a big surprise! I'm gonna score myself a hot stud! Welcome To Princess' Dream: Princess Erasa's Hunt for Her Prince Charming Stud Muffin! And I came prepared!"

Her hand pressed the gown down between her legs as she leaned forward, revealing her sizable bust. "I have my lacy undergarments on, stacked from top to bottom. I'm out to catch my lucky dream hunk of a man and whoever gets here first is going to be all mine!"

She giggled happily, moving to the side to reveal a medieval stone castle towering over her. "I'm looking for the best of the best! The manliest of all with a gentle heart! And-"

Sharpner's soda can fell from his loose grasp as his mouth gaped in shock while his hand went to his chest. 'Why is my heart beating so fast?' He thought to himself.

She stopped suddenly, her eyes cast down as a pair of blue bear ears appeared at the bottom of the screen. "Who are you?" She asked in confusion.

"Hi, I'm Lime." The bear's voice came from the ears, the rest of its body hidden under the bottom of the scene.

Erasa cleared her throat softly. "I meant… What are you doing here?" She asked kindly.

"I got lost and ended up here. What about you?" Lime replied, its ears wiggling on the screen.

Erasa sighed. "If you must know, I am currently on the hunt for my one true love, my soulmate, my stud muffin!" She exclaimed dreamily.

"Ooh, what's a stud muffin? It sounds tasty! Could I have one?" The bear announced excitedly.

Erasa stomped the ground and pouted. "Oh, would you leave already?! You're gonna scare them away!" She huffed and crossed her arms against her chest.

"Huh?" Lime mumbled as its ears turned to the camera. "Is that a portal to the other world?" It waddled over to the camera and pulled itself up to the lens before letting out a gasp. "Sensei! Is that you!? Hi! It's me, Lime!"

"What are you talking about?!" Erasa yelled angrily before kicking Lime off-screen. "You'll ruin everything! Leave! There's nothing there!" She turned back to the camera and put on a smile. "Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for tonight. But stay tuned to see-"

"Hey, is something burning?" Lime asked off to the left of the screen.

Erasa's hand jumped to cover her mouth as she gasped. "My cookies!" She exclaimed before turning and running towards the castle before the channel shut off.

Sharpner stood at the end of his bed, his heart raced while sweat ran down his face. "Why the fuck am I feeling this way?" He breathed before his cell phone rang.

Answering it, Gohan talked from the other line. "Was that…?" He said.

"Uh huh…" Sharpner replied.

"And she…?" Gohan asked.

"Yup." Sharpner answered.

"And Lime…" Gohan went on.

"I… Saw that too." Sharpner confirmed.

"So… The TV?" Gohan inquired.

"The TV!" Sharpner declared. "Tomorrow's Sunday, so let's meet up at Julays first thing in the morning!"

The next day, Gohan walked down to see Chiyori watching an anime opening with muscular men. The scene in question had four men posing on a podium with spotlights illuminating them, the man in the back dressing in white with his dark hair seeming the merge with his hat while the man in front fixed his bullet-shaped pompadour before posing with the rest.

"Good morning." Chiyori greeted her older brother.

Gohan looked around for the absent Yamcha. "You're up early." He commented.

She nodded. "Mister Yamcha woke up early, so I woke up with him." She informed him innocently. "He said he's going to be late."

She looked at his casual clothes, a yellow undershirt with dark wide-legged pants over his legs held up by a brown leather belt. His black bally shoes and purple coat waited for him next to the front door. The young girl turned back to watch her anime.

"I'm going out." Gohan announced.

"Kay…" Chiyori replied absentmindedly, focusing on the TV. "Have fun."

Gohan stared at her. "Don't give me that look." He ordered her.

She looked perplexed. "What look?"

"That one! With those puppy dog eyes!" He teased.

"I… Didn't give you a look." She replied, finally tearing her eyes away from the bullet-haired male walking down the street on TV to look at her brother.

"I already made plans with my friends…" Gohan informed.

"And I'm trying to watch Jo-" She began before being cut off by her brother.

"I can't just cancel my plans just to hang out with y-" He started.

"JUST LEAVE ALREADY!" Chiyori screamed.

Gohan hung his head as he walked away from the house, his hands in his pockets. "I just wanted her to say she wanted to come with me or something…" He pouted as he walked down the lonely road.

"You let an eight year old kick you out of the house?" Sharpner asked in disbelief as he stood with Gohan in Julay's food court, a silver briefcase next to his leg. A white, fur-lined, short sleeved bomber jacket laid over his purple tank top while his red Audio Technica ATH-ES10 headphones sat snugly around his neck and between both sides of his collar. Loose-fitting black cargo pants covered his legs with brown combat boots under them.

"She can be evil when she wants to be…" Gohan shivered in his chair at the thought. His jacket now over his body, conforming to his physique down to his hips. He had pinned the jacket to his chest earlier that year, revealing his undershirt that pressed against his abs.

"Aw, come on, don't be like that, ya big baby." Sharpner teased, pulling the briefcase up onto the table, shaking the nearby watermelon on the table. "Hey…" He leaned forward towards Gohan as he opened the clips of the briefcase. "Hey, Gohan… I got something that might cheer you up."

Gohan looked up to see Sharpner with his hands behind his back, the briefcase laid out, open and empty. "Pick a hand." Sharpner ordered.

Behind them, a shocked woman took out her phone.

"Uh…" Gohan looked from one shoulder to the next and back again. "I choose… left!" He announced.

With that, Sharpner revealed a metallic six foot Bō from behind his back. "Nice choice." He commented. "This baby's got one hell of a punch to it, made with the hardest steel I could find. Plus…" He handed Gohan the Bō as the other teen stood up. "Press the button on the middle."

Gohan rubbed his thumb over the small button in the very middle of the weapon as Sharpner balanced the Bō either side of them before nodding.

His thumb pressed the button and he backed away in shock as the Bō extended, two sharp spikes propelling from both ends.

"Nice, huh?" Sharpner asked as Gohan pressed the button again, retracting the spikes.

"What else do you have?" Gohan asked as he held the staff upright on the ground.

"I was hoping you'd ask!" He exclaimed happily before revealing a three foot bladed Uchigatana in a sleek vanished bamboo scabbard with blood red engravings forming roses.

"I brought a watermelon to test out my arm. Wanna see?" The blonde asked.

Gohan shrugged. "Sure, why not…" He muttered.

Sharpner grinned before turning to face the large, green fruit. His hand held the scabbard to his hip while his other formed around the hilt. He took a step forward, hearing the _shink_ of the blade beginning to shoot out of the sheath.

Suddenly, he was tackled to the ground by a policeman and handcuffed, his sheathed katana falling to the ground beside him. "H- Hey! What the hell?!" Sharpner protested. He squirmed uncomfortably as Gohan felt himself being handcuffed from behind.

"You're under arrest for handling of deadly weapons!" The policeman pinning Sharpner to the ground announced.

"What-" Sharpner wheezed, having too much pressure on his chest. "Motherfucker! I have a damn license! Uncuff us now! And let me… Breathe!"

"We're taking you down to the station!" The officer behind Gohan ordered as Sharpner was heaved to his feet.

"I'll see you in court, asshole!" Sharpner growled.

Gohan remained silent as they walked away.

Behind them, the watermelon fell apart in eight neatly cut slices.

An hour later, Tien escorted a very disgruntled Sharpner and calm Gohan from the interrogation rooms to the entrance of the police station after getting a long lecture from Yamcha.

"Bastard's lucky he apologized! I could have had his job if he didn't!" Sharpner grunted as he pulled his jacket back onto his body, referring to the officer who arrested him.

"Your weapons will be returned to you at the reception, just don't go showcasing it around the city. We're all on edge right now given recent events." Tien informed them as he turned his head to look down on Gohan. "I expected more from you, Gohan."

Gohan hung his head. If only he could tell his parents' old friend about what was really going on. "Sorry, Mister Tien." He replied solemnly.

On the other side of the hallway, two officers conversation caught the teens' attention.

"So, that young manager from Kappa Heaven is the one that disappeared?" One asked.

The other nodded. "Yeah, but she is a highschooler, could be she just ran away from home. You know how some can be."

The two teens looked at each other in horror. "Crap! We gotta find Videl… and fast!" Sharpner declared.

Gohan nodded as Tien gave them a side glance. "Mister Pencil, would you come to the station on Tuesday, please. We would like to speak to you on a certain matter." The older man asked.

Sharpner looked at him. "I… Have somewhere to be that day…" He paused for a moment. "I'll come down once I'm finished."

Tien nodded. "I look forward to it." He answered calmly. "And make sure no other… stunts like this happen again." His voice adopted a more commanding tone. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Yamcha needs his morning coffee."

As the two made their way to leave, Chiaotzu appeared in front of them carrying a Sudoh Bucks brand cup of coffee in his hand, using some tissues as a barrier between the heat of the cup and his hand. "Oh… Pardon me…" He murmured, bowing his pale face shyly before noticing Gohan. "Ooh, Gohan. What are you doing here?" He said with a smile, the red face paint on his cheeks rising from his grin.

Sharpner, seeing the timidness of the junior detective, took this opportunity to get some answers. "Hey, uh, can we ask you something?" He asked nicely. "It's about Erasa Pynk-Rubber, the acting manager of Kappa Heaven. Did… Did something happen to her?"

Chiaotzu looked at him, noticing the slight shaking of Sharpner's left arm which the blonde quickly grabbed to steady. "Oh, um… Am I allowed to say?" He murmured to himself. "Well… If you're friends with her, I guess it wouldn't hurt. We got a call from her parents yesterday evening saying she went missing. Since it was the weekend, the workers at the Inn are extremely busy, and no one saw Miss Pynk-Rubber around that time."

He noticed that Sharpner had become extremely pale incredibly fast and shaking beyond measure. The junior detective quickly tried to calm him down. "B- But that doesn't mean it's a case yet!"

'Y- Yet?' Sharpner focused on that word as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"You guys didn't hear if she was going through any tough times recently, did you?" Chiaotzu asked. "I just ask because the Racorde woman was staying at Kappa Heaven when she died. It seemed she had some harsh words for the manager and how she conducted everything. The stress caused the manager to step down and ask Miss Pynk-Rubber to take the reins because she was the only one she trusted."

Just then, Videl barged into the precinct before setting her eyes on the two. She wore purple shirt with horizontal white stripes covered by a two buttoned gray woolen overcoat and a pair of navy pants covering up her legs held up with a black belt and dark blue jungle boots. "There you are!" She growled as she jogged over to them. "What're you guys doing here for!?"

"We, um…" Sharpner rubbed the back of his neck as he fought to control his shaking. "We got arrested."

"WHAT!?" Videl screamed.

"Shush!" Sharpner warned as people began looking. "Calm down, everything's fine."

"No!" Videl stomped on the ground as she lowered her growl. "Everything is not fine! Erasa is missing! My Doofus of a best friend is arrested and my calves feel like they are bleeding from running around the city looking for you two!"

Sharpner glanced down at her covered legs. "They look good." He commented.

"Sharpner!" Videl growled with her head bowed and fist clenched.

Sharpner gave a nervous laugh and looked back to Chiaotzu. "So, uh… What were you saying about Erasa?"

Just then, Puar walked up to butt into the conversation. "Oh, you mean the girl who committed the murders?"

"FUCKING WHAT!?" Sharpner and Videl screamed in unison, causing a sudden halt in the precinct.

Sharpner began advancing towards Puar, his eyes narrowed. "You wanna repeat that?" He growled; his face inches from the others.

"Uh…" Puar mumbled nervously, pulling at his collar as he bent backwards to avoid Sharpner's face. "What I mean to say… is, uh… She's a person of interest?"

"The only interest you should have in her is finding her and bringing her home!" Sharpner growled lowly. "Erasa wouldn't hurt a damn fly let alone Chico-san. Now! Back! The fuck! Off!"

"But…" Puar began. "You're the one leaning over me."

He received a growl from Sharpner before the blonde stepped away.

"I think it's best if you focus your efforts somewhere else, Junior Detective." Videl scorned.

Puar nodded. "Forgive me, Videl-san."

"Let's just all calm down." Gohan interjected, stepping between Sharpner, Videl and Puar. "This is getting us nowhere. Let the police look for Erasa. We're going to do our own thing in the meantime." He gave the two a look and they knew.

"Let's leave." Sharpner offered as he turned to the reception, collecting his briefcase before storming out the station, followed closely by Videl and finally Gohan.

"Nice going, loud mouth." Chiaotzu chastised his comrade.

"Don't you start; I'm already gonna get an earful from Yamcha after this!" Puar replied angrily.

The three arrived back at the food court before Sharpner slumped on a metal chair. "The sale should end soon, so the electronics section should be clear by then." He rubbed his eyes before sighing. "In hindsight, having weapons in the eating area of my workplace wouldn't look good on my employee analysis report."

"And you didn't get me anything?" Videl asked, annoyed.

"You're coming in this time?" Sharpner questioned. "I thought that place was too weird for you."

"Weird or not, I'm going in!" Videl replied confidently. "My best friend's stuck in there…" Her head hung low as she adopted a serious tone. "She… She could die from this."

Gohan's hand found her shoulder. "We'll save her, right, Sharpner?" He looked to the blonde, who nodded with a grin.

"Of course, you have my word, Videl. Erasa will be back by tomorrow!" He promised before getting to his feet. "Alright… let's get going." He turned and the others followed.

The three walked through the electronics section to the TV. "Don't push yourself in here." Sharpner's warning seemed more to Videl than Gohan. They took a deep breath and stepped inside.

They appeared on the studio, the boys having had a less tragic landing than before while Gohan caught Videl in his arms, setting her down on her feet.

"Watch where your hands are next time!?" She barked, flustered.

"Lime?" Gohan asked as he noticed the bear in the corner, curled up into a blue and red ball.

"Whoa…" Videl breathed from behind Gohan. "It really is that bear from last time."

"What're you doing?" Sharpner asked casually.

The bear began rocking back and forth on its round bottom. "Can't you tell? I've been thinking a lot." It mumbled into its paws. "I've been deliberating for a while now."

"Did you figure anything out?" Sharpner asked impatiently. "Actually… Probably useless to think so much, I've seen inside there, not much to speak of."

Lime rocked onto its feet and stomped the ground in anger. "Why do you have to be so mean!?" It shrieked in annoyance before calming down slightly. "You're right though. No matter how hard I try, I can't remember anything."

"Enough already!" Videl barked at the two. "Sharpner, you know why we're here!" She turned to Lime. "Listen, did a girl come here yesterday?"

"Dress?" Sharpner added. "Short blonde hair? Really pretty? Near a castle? Ring any bells?"

Lime looked from Sharpner to Videl before turning to Gohan. "Sensei? Who's this?" It asked, pointing its paw to Videl.

"Videl's our teammate, she's here to help." Gohan informed sincerely.

A red tint appeared on Videl's cheeks from the softness of the way he said her name. "N- Nevermind that…" She murmured, shaking her blush away and holding her elbow. "Tell me about the girl."

"I can bring you to the castle, but it will be a bit of a walk." Lime warned before pointing to the left walkway of the studio. "The presence is over that way."

"Good, let's get ready." Sharpner said as he knelt down, opening the briefcase and throwing Gohan's Bō to him before picking up his katana. "I'll leave the briefcase here from now on; we can store our weapons here in case we need to come back."

Videl looked to the walkway leading to the castle. "Over there huh?" She asked. "Is everyone ready?"

The two teens looked to each other and nodded. "As ready as we'll ever be, I guess." Sharpner shrugged.

Without another word, Videl took off down the walkway, followed quickly by Gohan and Sharpner with Lime waddling from behind.

The four came to the castle gates and stopped to take a breath.

"We made it." Gohan breathed.

"Not yet." Videl announced. "We still need to find Erasa."

Sharpner looked back at Lime. "You're positive no one was behind the camera when you found Erasa last night?" He questioned the bear.

Lime bowed its body. "I told you before, there's only shadows and I here. I didn't see anything behind whatever that weird equipment was."

"I still think there's stuff you're not letting us know stuff." Sharpner confessed.

"Well…" Lime began. "Can you explain everything about your world?"

Sharpner thought on this and decided to close his mouth.

"The first time Erasa showed up on the channel was before she disappeared." Gohan pointed out. "Doesn't that seem off?"

"And with her saying she was going to… Score myself a hot stud." Videl continued. "That doesn't sound at all like her, she's usually not that boy crazed."

Lime tilted its body to the side. "Score…?" It asked quietly. "Stud…?"

Ignoring Lime, Sharpner nodded. "Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. Erasa saying something like that…" He said with a slight twitch in his eye. "Whoever's on their way to score with her better have life insurance." He paused for a moment. "Did… I show up on the Midnight Channel the other day too?"

Videl looked to the bear. "Do you feel Erasa's presence in there?" She asked worriedly.

Again, Lime bowed. "I'm pretty sure." It assured. "So, uh… What's this scoring a hot stud thing?"

Videl set her sights on the castle, ignoring Lime as her eyes narrowed. "I'm on my way, Erasa. Just hold on." She whispered to herself.

"Have we a plan?" Gohan asked Sharpner.

"Run straight through and don't stop!" Videl announced.

"That's… a start." Sharpner commented wearily. "Let's think of something more…"

"Too late!" Videl called out as she ran inside the castle.

"W- Wait!" The boys called out, taking off after her.

Videl ran through the winding corridors of the castle, stain glass windows casting multiple colors over her body and the ground.

"Be careful!" Lime warned the two males as shadows began seeping from the walls ahead of them, cutting off their path to Videl.

"Let's hope this new power holds up." Sharpner growled as he and Gohan tore off their masks, revealing a towering Sawaa and Dumplin from the smoke. "Now!" Sawaa ordered as they charged the shadows.

A few floors ahead, Videl pushed open a set of large, heavy metal doors to enter a dimly lit main hall. "Erasa!" She called out to the dark foggy room.

"She said… green looked good on me." Erasa's voice echoed through the room.

"Erasa?!" Videl called out again in worry. "I'm here! Where are you?!"

"She and Sharpie were always so kind to me." Erasa's voice continued. "They kept me safe…" A small giggle sounded throughout the room. "Delly always looked after little Spike, and Sharpie even took care of my little robin when my parents wouldn't let me keep her."

Videl listened to Erasa's words, her hand over her heart.

"They were all I ever had… But what good is it when I'm worthless to them? Still… Delly told me green looks good on me. She's always by my side; she's so strong and tough… unlike me. Because of her, I'll probably never find my prince. She has everything that I don't… Even Sharpie. Compared to them, I'm… Nothing."

"Erasa…" Videl breathed as Sharpner and Gohan kicked open the door, running inside.

"Videl protects me." Erasa went on. "She looks after my worthless life. And I… I don't deserve her or Sharpie. Videl is so kind."

"The hell is she talking about!?" Sharpner asked in anger. "Erasa knows damn well how much I care about her!"

"Erasa…" Videl whispered. "I… I…"

Just then, cruel laughter sounded around the room. "Videl protects me. Sharpie is so strong. What a joke." It mocked.

Two sunglow golden eyes shone from the darkness in front of Videl.

"Oh… Shit…" Sharpner breathed as the figure stepped out into the dim light, her pigtailed hair shifting slightly in the draft from outside.

"Are we talking about that Erasa?" Shadow Videl asked her other self. "That pathetic little princess. Always calling out for someone to protect her. She says she's worthless." She chuckled menacingly. "That's how it was always meant to be, right?"

Videl stepped back in horror. "W… What?" She breathed, fear in her voice.

Shadow Videl grinned. "Erasa is so beautiful… So feminine. She practically has all the guys drooling over her. Even Sharpner. When Erasa looks at me with such jealousy…" Her body quivered as she moaned gently, licking her lips with hunger in her eyes. "Ho, ho… That was some charge, huh? She knew the score all along, powerless to stop me. So weak to be manipulated around my little finger. But still no one paid me any attention!"

Videl's fist clenched in anger. "No!" She objected. "I'd never think that!"

Sharpner looked to Gohan. "What're we gonna do?" He whispered to his partner.

"We need to protect Videl!" Gohan ordered.

Sharpner nodded. "Something tells me this is going to go down regardless if we intervene. So here's the plan, you distract the shadow while I get Videl to safety. I… Don't think I could hurt something that came from Videl."

Gohan fixed his eyes on the shadow. "When the smoke comes, that's when we move."

"Got it!" Sharpner affirmed as they took a step forward, ready to jump to action.

Videl turned to them. "N- No! Stay away! Don't come near me!" She ordered.

Shadow Videl grinned at the boys. "My… If it isn't those two hunks!" She squealed with joy, biting her lower lip seductively. "Finally, Sharpner actually pays some attention to me when I'm not using him as a punching bag."

Sharpner blinked. "Say what now?" He asked in confusion.

"Hunks…?" Lime whispered from behind them, looking at both Gohan and Sharpner.

Videl rounded on her other self. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" She yelled in flustered anger.

"Videl!" Gohan warned. "Just calm down, alright?"

Videl looked at them before pointing at her reflection. "No! This thing is not me!"

Behind her, Shadow Videl placed the back of her over her mouth and gave a dignified laugh. "Fufufufufufu. Oh, I'm sorry dear; did you say something about us?" She asked teasingly, a handgun appearing in her hand.

"Just look at me, I can't even talk without wanting some hunks near me. I can't do anything alone. The police see me as a joke, a teenage kid that can't do shit. I can't win as a police officer, as a girl… I'm the one who's actually worthless." Her hand pulled back the slide of the handgun.

"But Erasa… Oh, Erasa, so malleable, I could shape her into anything I wanted. So I became her Senpai, someone she could look up to. I'll never loosen my grip on her. She's too valuable a pet to let off her leash."

Tears began running from Videl's eyes. "N- No! I- I don't think of her like that! She's my friend."

Gohan glanced to Sharpner to see his eyes fixed on the Shadow, his arm shaking around his clenched fist.

"So you're just going to turn and run away from me again?" The female Shadow asked, sniffling fake tears. "Are you really that cold hearted you'd abandon me? Am I really that pathetic? Fine… I'll leave this world." The handgun rose to her temple.

"S- SHUT UP!" Videl screamed in teary-eyed defiance. "YOU'RE…"

"Videl…" Sharpner called out cautiously, knowing it was no use.

"YOU'RE NOT ME!" Videl bellowed to her other self.

With that, a devious cold grin formed on Shadow Videl's mouth as her dignified laugh became crazed, almost feral as she pulled the trigger and shadows began surrounding her.

"NOW!" Gohan yelled before the two sprang into action as Videl collapsed.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **"Now You'll Say… Die!"**

Dim torches along the walls flared up, lighting the room as Sharpner's arms caught Videl's unconscious body, her pigtails falling over his arms, as the shadows engulfing her Shadow form grew to tower over them as Gohan transformed into the Demon God.

The blonde turned as the shadows disappeared and Dumplin jumped over him, the sound of clashing raged behind Sharpner ran behind a pillar, setting her down gently on the ground before something cold wrapped around his neck and pulled him from their hiding spot.

The Foo Fighter's _Pretender_ striking up from a PA system around the room as Sharpner's body was forcibly whipped around to come face to face with Shadow Videl, cold blue eyes gazed into his as a blue finger ran along his chin, her touch ice cold that his skin where she touched became numb. He followed her snow white, pigtailed hair to reveal it to be wrapped around his throat, cutting off his oxygen while her other pigtail pinned a struggling Dumplin against a pillar. Her long, silky white cloak flowing gently in the breeze.

"A Yuki-Onna…?" Sharpner gasped for air as he gripped the strands of ice cold hair around his neck, like iron shackles binding him close to her.

"Have you noticed me yet, Sharpner…?" Shadow Videl's distorted voice breathed into his ear, causing him to shiver from her frosty breath. "Am I… Desirable to you yet?" Her fingertips ran over his chin, chilling his skin.

A slight blush appeared on Sharpner's cheeks as her grip tightened around his throat.

"Really? Now?" Dumplin called over, ashamed of him.

"Don't… kink shame… me…" Sharpner choked.

Suddenly, Sharpner's mask glowed before Sawaa's hands broke through her hair, releasing her grasp over him. "Gohan!" Sawaa's voice called out to the Majin.

Dumplin looked up as Shadow Videl's grip on him loosened, focusing on Sawaa.

"Fine!" She screamed in frustration. "If you won't see me…" A spear of ice formed in her hand. "Then I'll make you!"

She swung the spear before the side connected with Sawaa's face, knocking him through the air and into the pillar where the unconscious Videl hid behind. "Fuck!" Sawaa grimaced as he pushed off the pillar to be met by Shadow Videl's hair hurtling towards his body in a large shimmering spike. He prepared his body before grasping the attack, the force pushing him against the pillar again, his back pressed up against the stone, the spike a few inches away from him.

He let out a sigh of relief before the spike shot forward, extending in his hands before resting an inch from his eye, a small bead of sweat ran from his temple. "Any time now!" He called out.

Shadow Videl's brow rose at his comment before turning her head as Dumplin's Bō slapped her across the face, causing her to recoil. Her hair retracted away from Sawaa as she focused her attention on the gray warrior. "So you want to die first, huh?" She demanded before her spear clashed with his Bō, sending a shockwave around the room.

Sawaa slinked back behind the pillar to check on Videl, holding her unconscious body in his hands as the fight continued.

"Good job, everybody." Lime called from the door as it began closing it from the outside. "If you need me, I'll be over here… away from the battle." Its head popped into view for a second. "Please don't hurt me…" It asked quietly before hiding.

"You're seriously beginning to be a pain in my ass!" Shadow Videl screamed as her spear pinned Dumplin to the ground.

"Ugh… Sharpner…?" Videl moaned in her sleep.

"I'm here, Videl. Stay with me." Sawaa whispered to her, softly brushing the hair from her face with his finger. "We'll help you."

Dumplin opened his mouth before a ball of energy shot from it, hitting Shadow Videl in the face before Dumplin pushed off of the ground, his feet colliding with the Shadow's mouth. He landed on his feet as the Shadow fell on her back.

Shadow Videl pushed herself up onto her side before sitting up. "Why you lit-" She began before Dumplin's Bō extended to strike her across the temple, tossing her across the room, colliding and destroying the pillar in her path.

A growling shriek came from Shadow Videl's location as an icy wind descended upon the room; Dumplin covered his face with his arms as the torches lost most of their flare, dropping the visibility around them.

Ice began covering the floor rapidly, the surface smooth yet spiked in some areas. Dumplin and Sawaa rose into the air to avoid getting caught in the ice. Videl lay in Sawaa's warm arms, stirring gently. The ice ceased its onslaught just before the door Lime hid behind.

Dumplin and Sawaa's feet found the cold ground, their warm breath visible in the cold air. "I can't put her down." Sawaa informed Dumplin. "If I do, she'll get hypothermia!"

Dumplin nodded before jerking his thumb to the door where Lime hid.

Sawaa understood, turning around to make his way beside Lime before Shadow Videl's hair whipped from the darkness, throwing him across the room as he curled up, protecting Videl as he slammed into the wall next to the door. "Son of the bitch!" He cried out in pain from the impact.

Dumplin turned to face Shadow Videl, her long hair now propping her from the ground, now a mass of erratic and twitching strands. Her eyes pure white as she gave a pearly white, maddened grin. "Kneel before me!" Her shriek echoed through the room as Dumplin became pinned to the ground from her hair launching towards him, wrapping around his wrists and forming ice along his arms and hands. He struggled as her sharp spear approached his face.

A sudden gust of wind struck the Shadow's face.

"Hey!" Sharpner's voice sounded ahead of them.

Shadow Videl looked up scornfully to see Sharpner posing, his right hand pointing directly between her eyes while his other lay in his pants pocket.

"Let that Dumplin alone!" He commanded calmly.

The Shadow's feral eyes locked onto the blonde striding confidently on the ice towards her. "Come on!" He boomed; placing his foot forward as his piercing gaze found her eyes.

She lunged at him, her hair leaving Dumplin's neck before he gasped for air. Her spear crashed against the ice that Sharpner once stood. "We asked you to stop but you still wanted more." Sharpner warned from beside her. She whipped around her spear while on her knees, cleaving through Sharpner, whose image flickered and faded. "Down on your knees… You don't look so tall." He taunted above her.

She glared up at the teen clinging to a mounted torch, pulling himself up above the flames and sweeping a gust of wind to the torch, fueling the flame; the warmth from its dim burn warming his body. "Why are you protecting her like that!? She's nothing but a controlling bitch!" The shadow snarled before her hair propelled her into the air, twirling her staff to crash into the pillar, shattering it.

"She may be short tempered, but she's my friend and I love and care about her." Sharpner called from below, his body crouched down on the ice and looking up at her. "And since you're a part of her… I can't hurt you!"

"Then die!" She screamed before plummeting down, her spear pointed down to the blonde.

"But that doesn't mean I can't distract you!" Sharpner retorted before moving back as Dumplin appeared underneath him. Sharpner's body heat having melted the ice around the Majin as his palm outstretched towards Shadow Videl with a devilish grin plastered on his gray face. "Try Hard Attack!" He announced before a ball of energy shot from his palm and hurtled into the Shadow's face, knocking her from the air onto her back.

Sawaa appeared before crouching between the two. "Now!" He called to Dumplin.

The Majin nodded. "I baptize you…" He began before jumping onto Sawaa's back, using him as a springboard to catapult himself into the air. "In the name of the fuck…" He began plummeting down towards Shadow Videl. "And the box…" He drew back his fist. "AND THE HOLY DUMP!" He finished before smashing his fist into the Shadow's face, the force of the impact sending cracks through the ice underneath and around her body.

Shadow Videl's hand rose gently. "Sh… Sharpner…" She whispered, her voice almost breaking. "Forgive me…" Her hand fell over her chest as the ice around the room began to melt. The shadow lay on her long, silky hair while Gohan and Sharpner stood over her, the blonde brushing a few loose strands of hair from his face as he knelt down next to her.

Another pair of feet joined them; the two looked up to see Videl looking down at her shadow, a look of disgust on her face.

"Videl…" Sharpner breathed softly.

"What's the matter?" Videl asked softly to her Shadow, her voice breaking gently. "Got any other secrets about me you want to tell them?"

Gohan's hand found Videl's shoulder. "That's enough, Videl… its okay." He reassured her gently with a warm smile.

Tears ran from her eyes. "B- But…" She began weakly.

"We understand." Gohan informed her.

"Everyone has a different mask." Sharpner said while he looked up at her. "I went through the same thing. I can understand because… Well, everyone has their side they don't want to show."

Videl gave him a tender gaze. "Even after everything I've done… You're still a sweetheart to me." She sniffled with a smile. Her sights turned to her Shadow. "I understand… I knew you were me… I just didn't want to say it to myself… But you are a part of me."

Her shadow gave a smile before her cold body glowed, rising into the air to float just in front of her. Her snow white twin ponytails reached down to her shoulders and her soft blue eyes gazed down at her other self with a smile. "I am Marcarita; I shall aid you in your journey with my power and beauty."

Videl's new persona disappeared to be replaced by a snow white Volto Barocco mask.

"This will hurt." Sharpner warned her as the mask floated to her face. The two males turned their heads from her screams of pain as the mask fused with her flesh.

Videl panted in exhaustion and pain as she turned to the two. "It's… It's true… I do feel that way." She confessed. "But… I wasn't lying when I said I cared about my friends…"

Sharpner got to his feet and smiled. "Like we didn't know that already." He commented cheerfully.

Videl hugged him and smiled into his chest. "You Doofus…" She hummed happily.

Sharpner rubbed her back gently before she softly pushed away from him and turned to Gohan. "Thank you, Gohan… For helping me with my other self." She blushed and looked away from him.

"What am I? Sliced ha- Videl!" Sharpner called in alarm as she suddenly fainted.

Gohan made to move before Sharpner caught her in his arms. "I gotcha." He breathed softly.

"I'm okay…" She breathed as Gohan ran up to them. "Just a little tired."

Gohan brushed her hair from her face. "You don't look okay at all…" He commented in concern. "I think we should take a break and return tomorrow."

Videl shook her head. "I can't… Erasa's counting on me… on us to save her." She breathed; her eyes half open.

"Videl…" Sharpner began as he picked her up in his arms, the brunette too weak to stand. "You need rest, what are you gonna do? Sleep the shadows to death? We're taking you home."

Videl gave his chest a weak punch. "Dummy…" She breathed before passing out.

"By the way…" Sharpner spoke to Gohan as they walked from the room. "That thing with the choking, that never leaves this castle, understood?"

Gohan nodded as they walked on, joined closely behind by Lime who witnessed everything.

Videl opened her eyes as they got back to their studio headquarters. "My head…" She groaned as she bounced lightly in Sharpner's arms.

"Do you need to lie down?" Gohan asked quickly.

Her hand reached to her forehead. "I feel worse than the last time I came here…" She murmured. "How can you guys see where you're going?"

Gohan and Sharpner looked at each other.

"That's right!" Sharpner exclaimed. "Lime, do you have a pair of glasses for Videl?"

Lime walked in front of them and pushed its paw behind its white and blue suit before extracting a pair of glasses. Perforated shields latched onto its profile shape while coated in slate white colors. "These should help!" The bear announced gleefully.

"Thank you, Lime." Gohan acknowledged before taking the glasses and gently slipping them onto Videl's face. "That better?" He asked.

Videl nodded slightly. "Yeah, that helps a lot. Thank you, Gohan." A smile crept onto her face.

"Why didn't you give them to her earlier if you had them?" Sharpner questioned.

"I- I…" Lime stammered. "I made them while you were fighting. I had no idea she was coming here so soon."

"Can I keep these?" Videl breathed.

Lime bowed its body. "I made them for you. So of course." It exclaimed happily.

"Gohan…" Videl whispered to him. "You two better not come in here without me tomorrow."

Gohan smiled and shook his head. "Wouldn't dream of it." He replied kindly.

"Nobody's coming in here on their own." Sharpner piped up. "It's too dangerous to go alone. If we don't work together, we won't catch this son of a bitch or save Erasa."

Videl gave a weak nod. "I agree… I promise I won't go alone."

"Tomorrow we'll save Erasa!" Gohan commented determinedly, causing a weak yet wide smile to form on Videl's face while Sharpner's brow ridged, giving a nod in agreement.

"Gohan!" The blonde called to the other teen as they approached the TV set. "We need a leader. And since you were the first to get your Persona, I think it's best if it's you."

Gohan looked at the burly blonde. "Are you sure?"

Videl clung to Sharpner's tank top in her slumber as he shrugged. "I'm better with second base, I doubt I'd make a good leader but I'd be good as second in command. You've proved to me you can lead us, you've taken down two shadows so far."

"I wasn't alone." Gohan reminded him.

"The finishing blow is all that matters in a fight." Sharpner informed him. "Besides… I'm not in the right shape of mind to lead right now."

Gohan smiled, nodded and held up his thumb. "You can count on me!" He assured.

A grin appeared on Sharpner's face before Gohan stepped through to make sure the coast was clear.

That evening, Sharpner walked cautiously up to the Satan mansion with Videl in his arms before jumping over the back fence. He was met by barks from a canine before a large husky appeared in front of him followed by a smaller gray furred beagle dog.

"Hey, Spike. Hi, Bee." Sharpner greeted them quietly as he knelt down, still supporting Videl in his arms while resting her on his knee. "You two are being good boys for Hercule and Videl I hope." His hand reached out to pet the husky's head as Spike nuzzled his hand with his tongue lulling out of his mouth.

Bee pawed at Videl's palm and licked her fingers, whining slightly.

"It's okay, little guy." Sharpner consoled as he petted the beagle's little frame in his hands. "Mommy's just tired; she'll be back to her usual self come morning." He stood up as Spike and Bee ran off to their doghouses.

With Videl over his shoulder, Sharpner tugged on the drainage pipe. "Hopefully this still supports my weight; I have put on a few pounds from muscle…" He muttered to himself before scaling the pipe up to Videl's bedroom balcony.

Opening the balcony glass door, Sharpner carried Videl to her bed and tucked her into her Ceaser sized bed. "Sleep tight, Videl…" He whispered softy, his hand brushing off her knuckles as he got off from the bed.

Suddenly, a familiar booming voice sounded outside Videl's bedroom door. "Pumpkin? Is that you? I didn't hear you come home! I'm coming in, okay?" Her father asked before turning the doorknob and opening the door slowly.

His dark small afro hair appeared before his eyes poked past the door. "Pumpkin?" He whispered quietly before walking in and smiling to see her fast asleep under the covers. "Little Angel must have forgotten to take out her hair clips." He whispered to himself before removing her metal tubes from her pigtails, letting her hair drape around her.

He felt a shiver run up his spine from cold wind before he turned and looked to see the balcony doors open. "Hmm, she must have gotten warm." He mumbled before walking out to lean his arms on the stone barriers, looking up to the sky.

"Our little one's turning out just like you, huh, Miguel?" He asked the stars. "I'm glad; she's just as beautiful and feisty as when you were her age." He let out a chuckle as he closed his eyes. "I still remember the first time you decked me for talking about another girl; that was a mean right hook." Standing straight, he tapped the stone solemnly. "I miss you, honey…" He murmured before walking away and locking the balcony doors behind him.

"Geez, could he pick worse time to reminisce?" Sharpner asked himself as he hung from the side of the balcony where Hercule just stood, his fingers gripping onto the small ledge at the bottom of the platform. He shimmied his way to the pipe before sliding down.

In the Yamcha residence, the three sat at the chabudai eating dinner while the news played in the background. "That's all for World News Network. Coming up next; Satan City News." The announcer reported.

Yamcha eyed his food sternly, deep in thought.

Chiyori's eyes moved from Gohan to Yamcha and back again before returning to her food.

"Do you mind if I ask something?" Yamcha asked Gohan. "You aren't getting involved in any strange business, are you?"

Gohan looked up from his rice. "Huh?" He asked in surprise.

"What happened at the station this morning…?" Yamcha continued. "It's still bothering me. Is there… anything you're not telling me? Is something bothering you? Believe me, I do feel bad for working constantly and not being here for the both of you every day."

Chiyori looked up, a frightened expression on her face. "Is e- everything okay, Mister Yamcha? You two aren't fighting, are you?" She asked nervously.

The two looked at her in surprise.

"No, no, honey." Yamcha said hastily with a warm smile to calm her down. "We're not fighting, it's okay."

"T- This isn't a police station." She huffed with a pout.

Yamcha hung his head and nodded before giving Gohan some advice. "I agreed to look after you. So don't get yourself involved in anything dangerous." His voice held a warning behind it. "Understood?"

Gohan nodded slowly, he could not tell his guardian anything about what he and his friends were up to for fear of not being believed.

The three returned to their meals as the weather forecast appeared on the screen. "And now… The weather forecast." The female announcer transitioned. "Due to high-pressure fronts from the west, that summer spring-like weather will stay with us for a while longer."

Chiyori looked at the TV. "Does this lady tell the weather how it feels?" She asked innocently. "Because when she says it's sunny, it always is."

"Oh…" Yamcha sighed with a smile at her innocent question. "Well, she doesn't exactly tell the weather…" He thought on asking Gohan to explain it but decided against the idea. "You'll find out once you go to high school."

Chiyori pouted at his response.

The next morning, the blue haired Balla walked ahead of him as another male teen ran up to him. "Yo, what's up? You got morning practice this morning? The invitations to the sports clubs are starting today, so we might be getting more teammates if we're lucky."

"I'm excited to get some fresh blood too." Balla replied to his friend. "It gets everyone fired up for new friends. Anyway, there's this rumor going around that there's some chick that's our new manager. Wonder who it is…"

"Let's just hope it's not Harrington." His friend responded irritably. "Not sure about you, but I don't want to be sexually harassed by some man starved teacher anytime soon."

Gohan zoned out of the conversation as he walked on.

In class, Gohan and Sharpner conversed among the other classmates.

"I wonder how Videl's doing…" Gohan expressed. "Too much stuff happened yesterday, I hope she's back to her usual self."

Just then, Videl came through the classroom door. "Speak of the devil…" Sharpner commented.

She walked up to them, rubbing her eyes and stretching her arms. "Mornin'…" She greeted the two males drowsily.

"Did you sleep well?" Sharpner asked worriedly.

"Uh huh… I just haven't woken up yet." Videl confided before smiling. "Thanks for seeing me home, Sharpner…"

"No problem." Sharpner responded with a grin.

She glanced at the two boys before a deep blush flooded her cheeks. "T- Thank you for everything yesterday. It's kinda embarrassing, y'know? Having someone know how you feel and all… But I'm glad it was you two. I feel like I can trust you two with anything."

"Don't sweat it." Sharpner grinned with a wink. "You're still as awesome as the day I met you."

"Sharpner…" Videl turned around as her blush deepened. She shook her head slightly to rid herself of her reddened face. "What was Gohan's Shadow like?" She asked, looking at the dark haired boy.

"Um… It really wasn't much…" Gohan replied nervously.

Sharpner nodded. "Yeah, it was like there was nothing there then poof, there's this big gray blob kicking ass."

"H- Hey, my persona is not a blob." Gohan defended himself.

"Sure, partner." Sharpner consoled with a wink and a grin.

"So nothing happened for you?" Videl asked.

"Can we not talk about something so inconsequential?" Gohan asked, not wanting his teammates to know he did not have to face his evolved shadow.

"Okay, we can drop it if it makes you uncomfortable." Sharpner agreed.

"Do you not trust us?" Videl asked, hurt.

"You want me to bare it all?" Gohan asked.

Videl recoiled as her blush flared. "Whoa- H- Hey, what're you talking about?!" She asked in shock.

"Don't do it!" Sharpner warned humorously. "You'll get arrested again!"

The two teens laughed before Videl joined in.

Their laughter died down before Sharpner became serious again. "Anyway, our top priority right now is to save 'Rase."

Videl and Gohan nodded simultaneously.

Just then, Sharpner's phone rang. He looked at the private caller ID. "Excuse me…" He said; placing the receiver to his ear before his skin paled. "Hello, Mister Lee…" His grave voice trailed off as he stood up and walked to the back of the classroom.

Videl sat next to Gohan. "Um… Thanks for saving me…" She said softly to him, a genuine smile on her face. "I… feel like you and Sharpner won't let me down. But there's something different about you… I just can't place it." A sudden thought came to her. "Oh, I should give you my number…" She said as she took out her phone. "Um… This is purely for talking about the mission by the way."

She blushed gently as Gohan felt a faint bond forming between them before they exchanged their numbers.

Class began and the Physical Education teacher took up his position at the front of the class. "Hello everyone, and welcome." He announced excitedly. "My name is Mister Furedi Mercuro, and I will be your PE and English teacher for the year! The latter having no one to teach to the students so I'm doubling down on work! Let's start off with the basics: The word Alphabet comes from what language?" He looked through the list of students. "Ah, Miss Satan, could you answer the question?"

Videl shot up onto her feet. "Uh… Could you repeat the question please?" She asked awkwardly.

Mister Mercuro smiled and nodded. "Of course, Miss Satan. What language does the word Alphabet come from?"

"Oh, it comes from the first two letters of the Greek words Alpha and Beta!" She answered confidently.

He nodded in response. "Very good. In Satan City, when we say alphabet, we're talking about the West City alphabet, but it doesn't always mean the West one specifically…" He continued on with the lesson as Videl sat down.

The three met up in Julays' food court. "Alright, this time we stick together." Gohan ordered the two, who nodded in agreement.

"First Chico-san… Now Erasa…" Sharpner murmured as he put his weight on the back of a nearby metal chair. "I never thought we'd get involved in a murder case like this."

"Hey!" Videl snapped. "Don't talk about Erasa like she's already dead!"

"I know!" Sharpner responded in kind before his voice became weak. "I know… just calm down… You're not the only one terrified of what might happen. Unfortunately, there's the time limit of when the fog rolls in."

"What's the weather like?" Gohan asked.

Sharpner took out his cell and flipped it open. "Let's see… Looks like there's a heavy downpour in the next two weeks. That gives us… eleven days to save Erasa until the fog rolls into the night."

"More than enough!" Videl confirmed determinedly as she brought her right fist crashing into her left palm in front of her chest.

"Alright…" Sharpner said as he pushed himself off the chair. "Let's roll."

The trio walked off into the department store.

Sharpner landed in a crouch on the Midnight Studio floor as Gohan caught Videl in his arms.

"You're late." Lime announced as it waddled its bear body over to them.

"Can it you!" Sharpner pointed to the bear angrily as he took their katana and Bō. "The castle! Now!"

"Alright, geez…" Lime said as it turned. "What's stuck up his butt?"

As they walked, Sharpner handed a pair of nunchucks to Videl. "Here, something to defend yourself with; be careful." He warned her protectively.

Videl took them and smiled, looking up at him through her glasses. "Thanks, Sharpner." She beamed.

They made it to the castle and took a step inside before being greeted to the clanging of metal.

"Wait, hold up…" Sharpner said in a muffled voice as he looked down at his body to see his clothes covered in samurai armor, greaves covered his kyahan on his legs, a helmet covering his head that he immediately took off and threw away. "The fuck is this?" He asked.

Videl looked at her body to reveal a traditional orange kung fu outfit with round hat on her head decorated with an amber sphere on top. "Speak for yourself, this looks cool on me."

"I'm not saying I look bad in it…" Sharpner retorted before they looked at Gohan.

The teen wore a white keikogi covered by a pitch black uwagi. "What's the theme here?" He asked in confusion.

Videl looked at their outfits. "Um… Maybe it's that we're all fighters?" She questioned.

"What I want to know is…" Sharpner began. "Why didn't we change last time we were here?"

"Maybe the narrator forgot to add it in." Gohan point- Wait, what the fu-

"Moving on." Gohan said quickly as the three ran through the halls while shadows appeared.

As they fought their way up, they heard the echoes of the news vibrating through the walls of the castle. "In other words, she's a manager who's still in high school."

"Shut up!" Erasa's voice followed the echo.

"H- Hi, Erasa-san. M- Mind if I ask you something? I- Is it true that the announcer lady is staying at the Inn you work at?" The teen's voice from the first day of class rung out.

"Shut up! Shut up!" Erasa's voice followed.

"Someday though… May I just say; that is a lovely kimono you're wearing. Do you have any male visitors?" The echo of the reporter asked. Sharpner ended up slamming a shadow's head into the wall as he heard that.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Erasa's voice screamed in frustration. "I AM SO SICK OF THIS!"

Four floors up the castle, Lime chimed in behind them as they came to a closed double door. "I sense something behind this door, a strong presence. The girl's scent is nearby."

Without another word, both Videl and Sharpner booted the large oak open before rushing in, quickly followed by the bear and Gohan.

In the middle of the room stood Erasa, dressed in her green ball gown, with her back to them.

"Erasa?" Videl asked. "Was she the presence you sensed, Lime?"

"Erasa-san! Are you alright?" Gohan called to her.

"No…" Sharpner growled, gripping his sword's sheath. "That's not Erasa…"

Shadow Erasa turned and grinned happily, yellow eyes scanning their faces. "Oh my, finally some guests!" She gleefully exclaimed. "I wonder how you'll all play in all this." She raised the back of her hand to her mouth and gave a dignified laugh. "Things are heating up, are they not? Well, I'm off to continue my hunt for my hunky Prince Charming! Ooh, where could he be? This place is so big! So exciting! But it makes it very hard to find him… Ooh, maybe he's playing hide and seek in the fog! Ready or not, here I come!" She turned and began walking off excitedly. "Oh, boys, please show our guests a good time."

"Hey! Wait!" Videl called after her aggressively before Sharpner's hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.

Two pairs of gauntlets erupted from the ground before they pushed up from the ground to reveal two silver armored knights on black armored horses. The horses reared as the knights took out a light and dark spiral lance respectively.

"It seems her shadow has a deep connection to this palace." Sharpner observed. "This is just like what happened to us." Videl glanced at him.

"Gohan." Sharpner looked over his shoulder at him. "Sit this one out. Videl and I will take these two."

Gohan nodded and stood back with Lime as the two walked towards the knights.

"Videl, you take the dark one. I'll handle light over there." Sharpner instructed before Videl nodded.

The knights bore down threateningly on the two. "You have come to challenge our Lady's hand?" Light asked.

"We cannot allow those who are unproven into our Lady's chambers." Dark cautioned.

"Well then…" Sharpner smirked as he took up a battle stance. "I guess we'll just have to prove ourselves."

He glanced to Videl who bore a battle ready face as she swung her new nunchucks around, having tested their weight in the battle to get up here.

The horses reared their bodies before charging at the two; the knights with lances pointed at the warriors. Sharpner and Videl dived to either side of the horses quickly before rolling onto their feet.

Light turned to face Sharpner as he stood up in front of a pillar. His horse reared before charging the blonde, who backed up against the pillar. "Die!" Light commanded as his lance lowered.

Sharpner's smirk appeared on his lips as his feet rose up before pushing up against the pillar, launching him into the air over Light, whose lance collided with the pillar and embedded itself deep inside.

Sharpner landed behind Light with his back to the horse, turning his head to look at the rider before pointing over his shoulder while his free hand cupped his elbow. " _Now you will say…_ " He spoke in menacing Japanese before speaking English. "You slippery rat!"

"You slippery rat!" Light repeated before his eyes widened. "What?!" He roared in outrage. "How!?"

Sharpner grinned. "I can read you like an open book! I can predict your every move!"

Videl, having already begun her fight with Dark, deflected his lance several times with her nunchucks before back-flipping away, putting some distance between them.

"Ha! Your puny weaponry cannot touch me from there." Dark laughed maniacally.

A smile appeared on Videl's face as she swung her nunchucks forward and pressed a button on both their handles. The chains extended out three times their original size and wrapped around the lance.

"WHAT!?" Dark cried out as his lance was ripped from his grasp before Videl caught it and leaped forward, her determined eyes narrowed before the lance shot through the skull of Dark's horse, spewing brain matter and bone up as the lance erupted from the top of the horse's cranium.

Videl pulled the lance from the head and launched it to her side, piercing the wall where the weapon stayed at a forty-five degree angle. She stepped back and swung her nunchucks for them to return to their original size. The horse collapsed and disappeared into the ground.

Meanwhile, Sharpner blurred with crossed arms as he dodged Light's numerous thrusts of his lance. "Bastard! Stop dodging my attacks!" Sharpner called out. "Bastard! Stop dodging my attacks!" Light repeated before growling. "Enough! You dare make a mockery of me!?" He held back his lance.

Sharpner straightened up his body before casting his gaze towards the knight, fixing him with a glare. A moment of silence fell between the two, only to be broken by a smirking Sharpner. "…Yes." He said simply. Light's anger flared as his lance was driven through Sharpner's chest.

Sharpner held no reaction on his face as he stood, arms crossed and smirk present, while a clean lance pierced through his body. "What Magician trickery is this?!" Light muttered as Sharpner faded away around his lance.

"Good grief…" A voice came from behind Light, who whipped around to see Sharpner shaking his lowered head. "Shall we speed things up?" The blonde asked as he raised his eyes to glare at Light with a grin before becoming a blur, circling around his opponent, leaving flashes of himself around the tight circle to taunt the knight.

His speed and direction formed a tornado around Light. "Impossible!" The knight called out as he lost his grip on his lance before it disappeared under him as he and his horse rose into the air. Higher and higher they rose until the tornado suddenly stopped and the two plummeted down. Below them, Sharpner stood with Light's lance extended into the air.

Seeing this; Light jumped off the horse at the last second before the equestrian became impaled in his own weapon. Sharpner buckled slightly under the weight as he stared at the knight, black shadows seeped down the lance before Sharpner swept it aside. The horse's corpse fell to the ground heavily before sinking into the stonework. Sharpner leveled the lance for the tip to point at Light. "You will die by my hand!" He growled before tossing the lance behind his head to embed itself into the wall at a seventy degree angle as Light stood up, drawing a gleaming sword into his hand.

Videl flipped into the air to avoid Dark's pitch black sword that had replaced his lance. She landed by crashing her foot into his back before back-flipping off, landing in a crouch as she straightened up.

Dark got shakily to his knees to be met by nunchucks to the face, launching into the air until Videl charged him into a pillar. Her nunchucks found his gut as they collided with his armor, pummeling him into the pillar.

Light traded blows against Sharpner's sweeping katana with his own sword as the two danced around the room, sparks flying as their blades collided and slashed together.

Suddenly, Light got the upper hand and threw Sharpner's hand to the side before readying his killing blow.

"Your next line will be:" Sharpner called out as he found his footing as Light thrust his sword forward. "It is over for you now, samurai! Accept your defeat!"

"It is over for you now, samurai! Accept your defeat!" Light repeated before he gasped as his blade stopped inches from the blonde's throat. "Samurai!" He growled.

Sharpner grinned as he glanced at his sword arm. Light followed his gaze to see a thin piece of wire wrapped around Sharpner's middle finger; following the wire, he realized that it was connected to his own wrist, holding his weapon back from harming his opponent. "WHAT!?" He yelled out before Sharpner pulled hard on the wire.

The thin strand cut cleanly through the unprotected wrist with enough force to sever the hand completely, launching the severed appendage into the air. Sharpner snatched the weapon, holding the stump of a hand in his grasp as a gleaming flash appeared between them.

Dark grabbed Videl by the throat when he found an opening in her assault before lifting her into the air and climbing out of the dent he made in the pillar. Drawing back his sword to finish her, he looked over at the others to see Light's head fall from his shoulders and his body collapsed to the ground, the clang of metal sounded as Sharpner let the sword fall to the ground before sheathing his own katana.

"Brother!" Dark called out before tossing Videl aside and charging Sharpner as the blonde samurai looked up. Dark's blade swung down before Sharpner's foot shot up, connecting with the knight's wrist and forcing it up. Dark glared at the blonde, whose legs were split, keeping both his balance and opponent's arm away. "Bastard!" Dark growled until a flash of metal appeared briefly.

Dark looked to his opponent who kept eye contact with the knight while holding his katana in one hand and his sheath in the other as the warrior looked to his arm. Sharpner slid his blade into his sheath with a soft shink; at that very moment, Dark's arm severed from his body and he screamed in pain, backing away and clutching at his stump oozing shadows.

"Now you'll say… Die!" Sharpner kicked the stump away before Dark roared out the word and took a crossbow into his remaining hand, aiming it at the blonde and pulling the trigger. A metal sphere the size of Sharpner's head shot out as a glint appeared in Sharpner's brown eyes. Standing his ground, he raised his hand and caught the sphere in his palm, the impact forcing his hand behind his back.

"Tell me…" Sharpner demanded as he held the sphere with both hands, forming wind around the metal. "Are you familiar with the concept of baseball?" With that, he pitched the sphere towards the knight at tremendous speed.

Dark ducked at the last moment, letting the sphere sail over his head before standing up. "HA! You missed!" He exclaimed before looking at the blonde, who stood pointing at the night. "Omae wa mou… shindeiru!" He exclaimed.

"WHAT!?" Dark called out before the metal sphere; having flown passed Dark's head, continued on to bank off one of the lances in the wall and roll from its momentum around the circular wall of the room until it connected with the second lance to launch it back into the middle of the room; smashing into Dark's head and crushing his helmet from the impact, killing him instantly before he disappeared into the ground.

Sharpner turned to the door onward leading to Erasa's chambers as the other three ran up behind him. "That was really good." Videl said breathlessly.

Sharpner looked back at Gohan. "Thought you could use a rest after the last two fights." He breathed.

Just then, Erasa's voice echoed. "Oh, has my prince come for me yet?" She almost whined. "I want him to take me far away from here, to a place only we know and can be together. Oh Prince, please hurry to me and take me away!"

Lime sniffed the air. "That smell…" It said as it waddled forward. "It's definitely her; she's right behind that door!" It pointed its stump of an arm towards her chambers.

"Well…" Sharpner said as Gohan walked towards the door before following his leader. "Guess we shouldn't keep her waiting." His hand rested on the door before the other two nodded and threw it open.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **"I Won't Let Another Die Here!"**

The four ran into the chambers were stairs led up to an elegant king size bed with an overhanging green silk canopy. Shadow Erasa sat at the end of her bed, legs properly crossed under her dress while her hands lay softly over her knees, her eyes overlooking the Erasa that lay on her side in her kimono at the bottom of the steps.

"Erasa!" Sharpner and Videl called out in unison.

Shadow Erasa's attention was turned to the voices before she smiled and stood to her feet, curtsying to them. "My my, you made it all this far?" She questioned excitedly. "Mmh… What a delectable platter of hunks! All here to see me? Ooh, I feel like such a special little girl."

Gohan walked forward to the stairs before beginning to ascend them.

"Dude, what the hell are you doing?!" Sharpner called after him.

"She said she wanted a prince." Gohan replied as he reached the top before coming face to face with Shadow Erasa. "I am here for you, my princess." He spoke elegantly, hoping this would quell her shadow side so they could avoid a fight.

"Ah, my prince!" She said happily, closing her hands together and placing them against her cheeks. She squeaked excitedly. "I think my prince deserves a kiss!" She closed her eyes and puckered up.

Sharpner's eyes narrowed and his fist tightened at the sight while Videl's eyes narrowed at his reaction.

Gohan closed his eyes with her and began leaning forward, his lips inching ever closer to her strawberry-lipstick lips.

Suddenly, a fist slammed into Gohan's stomach, causing his mouth and eyes to snap open as his breath left his body. Looking down, he saw Shadow Erasa's arm pushed into his stomach. "Oopsie." She gave an annoyed chuckle before grabbing Gohan's face with her free hand and pushing him off his feet, sending him through the air.

Videl jumped into the air and caught Gohan before falling into Sharpner's arms. The blonde set her down on her feet again before lying Gohan down, supporting his head on her knee as Sharpner turned to the Shadow.

Her eyes roamed over the three before looking at Sharpner, her tongue running over her lips hungrily. "Hi, handsome." She said with a wink.

Sharpner's cheeks instantly turned red as his eyes widened.

"Keep it in your pants, would you!?" Videl yelled angrily at Sharpner as she held Gohan up slightly.

"It's getting crowded in here." Shadow Erasa continued before beckoning him closer with a seductive finger. "Why don't I have the guards escort the rabble out of here while we have some… secluded time?"

"Shut the hell up already!" Videl cried out protectively.

Sharpner stood there, transfixed in her gaze as his body began to warm up, a bead of sweat running down his forehead.

"Then you can take me to a place far, far away from here." Shadow Erasa continued dreamily. "A place where no one knows us. Just you and I." She pouted at Sharpner. "If you're my prince, you'll bring me there, won't you?"

Sharpner began walking forward carefully. "I will." He affirmed.

"Oh…" Lime said from behind the others. "Is this… Scoring a hot stud?"

"Sharpner!" Videl almost shrieked at him.

He could not listen to her, if his plan was to work, he would need to keep constant concentration on the Shadow, edging his way closer to Erasa.

"You can't honestly believe that Sharpner is your prince!" Videl screamed at Shadow Erasa.

Videl's words stung Sharpner enough to be visible to the Shadow. "And why not?" She spoke with a hiss. "He keeps me safe, keeps me warm. He leads my heart to the place it needs to be. He's a strong prince… The perfect prince. And what were you!?"

Videl's eyes widened as Sharpner inched his way to the stairs. "W- What do you mean?" She almost cried.

"You know exactly what you did!" Shadow Erasa hissed. "Every opportunity! Every! Single! One! You made sure you asserted yourself over him! Everytime he tried to talk to me, you were there! Making me feel like I wasn't good enough! You can't take me away from here! You can't save me! You can't do anything!"

"Erasa…" Videl breathed as Gohan stirred.

Erasa pushed herself off the ground gently as Sharpner continued towards her slowly. "S- Stop…" She said weakly.

Her Shadow self looked down at her with contempt. "Taking over the inn? Managerial training? Being harassed by reporters and their little cameramen? I'm sick of it all! I never asked to be some Geisha for everyone to fawn over! Everything is decided for me! Where I live! Who I like! Where I die! And don't even get me started on those pathetic little perverts who try to ask me out!" She gave an angry humph, stomping her heeled shoe on the ground. "I'm so sick of it! To hell with it all!"

"What was that for?" Gohan called out as he got to his feet, holding his stomach. "You wanted a prince."

Shadow Erasa gave her dignified laugh. "I did, didn't I?" She replied before giving him a deadpan look. "You honestly believe I would kiss you?" She asked in an almost disgusted tone.

"No, stop it." Erasa tried to call out meekly.

The Shadow turned her nose up at Gohan. "As if I'd ever kiss someone like you." She scoffed.

"No… That's… That's not true…" Erasa's voice almost lost its edge.

"Well, why not?" Gohan called out with a hint of anger.

"Because I don't kiss filthy, disgusting, petty little country peasants!" Shadow Erasa shrieked.

"You're not me!" Erasa cried out.

Sharpner's hand stopped from reaching out to the kimono-wearing blonde as his eyes widened before looking up at her Shadow, who grinned down at her evilly. "Oh, my dear, I thought you'd never say that." She giggled as she produced her own handgun and placed it to her temple. "Now, everyone try not to get too fired up. Mhh… Sharpner, my prince, do try to give everything you have for me." She gave a dignified laugh before pulling the trigger.

At the sound of the gunshot, Sharpner felt a blast knock him back to the others as a circular stone tower appeared in front of them where Erasa stood, swallowing her into the uppermost chamber as shadows moved behind it while the temperature in the room rose.

"Oh this is not good." Gohan commented as a towering black dragon with a green leather stomach and purple fire rising from her sharply toothed mouth appeared behind the tower.

Papa Roach's _Burn_ played from the PA system as the dragon began its attack by breathing its violent fire towards the three.

Gohan and Sharpner were shoved to the side as Marcarita appeared and threw her hands forward, sending out a continuous stream of ice to keep the fire at base.

The two boys got to their feet before Gohan became Dumplin.

"Sharpner! Tower! Now!" Marcarita called to Sharpner, who nodded and slinked away behind the pillars as the fire let up. The dragon noticed the blonde in its peripheral vision before focusing on the others. Marcarita and Dumplin nodded before springing into action.

Sharpner ran to the tower while the others distracted the dragon. He threw his head up to look at the only entrance, the window at the top. "Well, if a prince is going to prove his worth…" He said as he gripped the masonry and began to climb the wall with what little handholds there were. "…He does so alone. No persona, just good old strength." As he climbed, he could feel his strength leaving him, as if the very tower he was scaling were draining him of his stamina though magic.

Marcarita infused her nunchucks with ice before spinning them at high speeds, causing an icy wind to pick up to cool down the dragon's fireballs she spat at Marcarita. Dumplin jumped into the air to uppercut the dragon before its head came crashing down on him, slamming his body into the ground.

"Gohan!" Sharpner called out in a gruff, intensely masculine voice as he looked down at the Majin, his strength ebbing away every second. "I just remembered something from school!"

"Can it wait?" Dumplin replied as he picked himself up.

"It's about your persona!" Sharpner continued his speech in a voice of raw intensity as he clung to the tower. "It suggests the power of the Majin-Dumplin! He holds within him the seed that sparked a generation of Majin into existence! Look inside your persona! Feel for its power!"

Dumplin stood up as Marcarita continued to hold off the Shadow as long as she could. Concentrating his energy as a spark flashed in his eyes. He raised his hand into the air before bringing it crashing down onto the ground. "His power is not energy, but lightning!" Sharpner called out before a thunderbolt of electricity shot from the roof and connected with the dragon, causing it to scream in pain while electrocuting it enough that it's skeleton glowed underneath.

"But that's not all!" Sharpner continued as Dumplin took his Bō into his hands and charged it with electricity. "With mighty spear in hand did Majin-Dumplin dredge land from the very depths of the world!" Dumplin charged the dragon, jumping high into the air as Sharpner finished. "His is the very weapon that birth the earth!" The Majin brought the Bō up into the dragon's belly; it writhed in pain before breathing fire where Dumplin stood, only for the Majin to sidestep away from the blast.

Sharpner pulled onward until he made it into the window, sweat glistening on his face from both the heat and stamina drain of the tower. He turned his head to see Erasa on the bed that her shadow had occupied before, sleeping peacefully over the covers with her hands over her chest.

"Erasa!" Sharpner called out as he stumbled to his feet before a jolt shot into his heart, causing him to collapse while clutching his chest, breathing heavily. "The hell?" He breathed before standing up again for the process to repeat, sending him to his knees. "If the outside of the tower drains my stamina… then the inside…" He breathed heavily as he attempted to catch his breath. "Drains my life."

Suddenly, the glint of a blade appeared in front of him before he ducked, sliding on his legs as his katana clashed with the other sword, knocking it away.

He regained his footing again and turned as their swords clashed again. He looked to his assailant to see a pair of yellow eyes glaring at him, they belonged man with a crown and a suit of armor. "You?" Sharpner asked him before the king began his assault, Sharpner keeping up with him as their blades clashed and sparked in the dimly lit chambers.

Below them, the fight raged on as electricity, fire and ice decorated the room. The dragon's wings beat off the air, forcing Dumplin back with the wind as Marcarita grabbed hold of the dragon's tail, pulling it into the air before slamming her into the ground on her back.

Dumplin jumped onto the dragon's stomach and raised his Bō so that a bolt of lightning struck the pole before Dumplin spun it in his hands.

However, when he was about to plunge the Bō into its stomach, the dragon's head rose up quickly before closing her mouth around the gray Majin.

"No!" Marcarita cried out before the dragon swallowed him while scowling at Marcarita. "You bitch!" Marcarita exclaimed as she launched towards the dragon, striking it with her bare fists before delivering an uppercut to the Shadow's jaw. "Give him back! Dammit!" She screamed as she continued her bare fisted assault.

Sharpner became pressed up against the wall as the king pushed him while blocking his katana strikes. "You are unworthy of her!" The king growled before his blade struck Sharpner's arm, throwing his katana from his grasp so that it sailed out the window before plunging his blade between the break of his armor into Sharpner's stomach, causing the blonde to scream out in pain.

The glint of something on the king's hip caught Sharpner's attention before he gripped the king's shoulder and pulled himself closer. Taken aback by his actions, the king raised the blonde into the air before throwing him off his sword, letting him follow his katana out the window.

As he fell, Sharpner caught up to his blade before holding up the sharp dagger he had taken from the king's hip. He plunged the blade into the masonry and used the momentum to swing his body up, launching himself back into the air.

The king turned his back to the window as he heard the sound of loud metal hitting the ground, turning his attention to Erasa. He stepped one foot forward to approach her before the sound of something landing softly behind him hit his ears.

"BIDER!" Sharpner called from behind him. The king turned to see Sharpner standing with one hand gripping the tank top over his heart with the other hand covered part of his eye with his fingers spread. His katana hung from his hip with his armor discarded below the tower.

The king lunged forward with his sword before Sharpner's hand found his katana. With one fell swoop, the king's arm and sword fell to the ground. His eyes widened before Sharpner's hand wrapped around his throat, lifting him off his feet. Sharpner growled as his mask glowed in the dark room while wind circled around him, raising his hair slightly off his shoulders.

"I won't let…" His hand loosened its grip for the king to fall as Sharpner's free fist rocketed into his stomach before his other punch connected with his chest, keeping the king aloft to a flurry of fists. "…Another die here!" Sharpner delivered a final uppercut to the king's jaw, hurtling through the roof of the tower to fall and collide with the ground far below, where he became a black puddle before sinking into the ground.

Sharpner turned back to face Erasa before the pain in his heart and stomach returned, forcing him to his knees as he crawled slowly towards her, grunting in pain. He collapsed onto his stomach before pulling himself along the ground, hand clutching his heart as he climbed onto her bed.

Without another thought as he lay beside her, his heart close to giving in; Sharpner leaned down and pressed his lips against his sleeping beauty, feeling his eyelids grow heavy as they kissed.

Marcarita was knocked to her back by the dragon's rouge wing, kicking up dirt from the stonework as she slid, colliding with the tower. Wind kicked up to fuel the fire of the burning tapestries that lined the walls. She shook her head clear before pushing up from the ground and jumping to the side as a jet of fire hurtled towards her. The dragon turned its head to face her opponent, opening her mouth to attack.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot from the ceiling, striking the dragon where it stood, causing it to rear on its hind legs and scream. It was then that Gohan's Bō shot through its stomach before being dragged down to split its stomach open.

Dumplin jumped out, covered in black shadows and slime as he ran away from the collapsing dragon. "Woop-woop-woop-woop." was all Marcarita could hear as the rotund Majin moved his little stumps for feet as fast as he could. He stopped and turned a safe distance away before shaking the slime and shadows from his body.

"Why…?" Shadow Erasa whined from the ground as shadows spilled from her stomach. "Why couldn't you leave me alone…?"

Marcarita disappeared as Videl began walking forward. "I'm not walking away, Erasa." She said calmly, sweating slightly from the heated room. "I have something I need to tell you." She neared Shadow Erasa and placed a hand on her head, caressing her scales softly. "I was always jealous of you." She confessed as she hung her head. "You were always popular with guys … No one ever paid any attention to me… Not even Sharpner. So… I was happy when you called on me for help. I wanted to think… That you needed me to protect you."

Videl knelt down beside her and smiled. "Erasa, you're a strong person. You want to be free from me? Then I won't stand in your way any longer. You can go wherever you want… Be with whoever you wish to be. But even still…" Her lips pressed against her head softly as tears trailed down her cheeks. "I don't want to lose you… Because you're important to me."

With Videl's confession, Shadow Erasa's body glowed as it transformed into her original, ball-gowned form.

"Videl…?" A voice spoke from behind her.

Videl turned to see Gohan with a slight smile while beside him stood Sharpner, holding Erasa bridal style in his arms as she beamed at her friend, eyes glistening with newly formed tears. "You really mean that?" Erasa asked.

Videl nodded to her friend, a sad smile etched on her lips. "I'm sorry, Erasa. I was so caught up in what I was dealing with… I never looked to see how my friends were suffering. We're supposed to be best friends and I… I was so jealous of you…"

Erasa slid from Sharpner's arms onto her feet before running and hugging Videl. "It's okay. All I could think about was running away with a handsome boy." She held Videl close before her eyes found her Shadow, who had stumbled to her feet. "That's why you were made."

Videl let her go as the blonde approached her reflection. She took her gloved hands gently in her own. "I'm sorry I couldn't acknowledge you. I wanted to run, to be away with them all, and just be with him…" Her eyes found the golden glow of her other self. "You're right. I do feel that way." She admitted before holding her Shadow close, embracing her. "Thank you… For being me."

Shadow Erasa smiled as her body began to glow, rising into the air to become a small, blue skinned figure with blue eyes and snow white hair with a single long braided ponytail over her shoulder reaching her chest with her hair combed in an eighty by twenty ratio. "I am Cus; I shall lend my burning petals of passion to your journey."

Her body glowed and formed into a blue butterfly mask that floated in the air. Videl and Sharpner rushed to their friend's side as she thrashed and screamed form the searing pain of the mask.

Once it was over, Erasa collapsed in their arms. "I got her." Sharpner insisted as he held her steady, letting Videl step back as he took care of her. "Are you okay?" He spoke softly.

Erasa nodded as she rested her head on his bicep. "I'll be okay…" She murmured. "Just… A little tired. You came to rescue me?" A smile appeared on her lips.

Videl wiped her tear-ridden cheeks. "Of course we did!" She sniffed, choked up. "We're just so glad you're safe."

Just then, Lime waddled up to Erasa. "So… Who threw you in here?" It asked.

Erasa blinked at the sentient bear suit. "What… Who are you?" She asked in an almost scared tone.

Lime waved slightly to her. "I'm Lime." It introduced itself to her before repeating bluntly. "So who threw you in?"

Erasa put her hand to her forehead and winced. "I… Don't know…" She breathed. "Someone… Called my name… But my memory's a blur. I can't remember who it was… I'm sorry… Uh, Lime?"

Lime bowed its rotund body. "No new clues…" It said in defeat.

Sharpner looked up at the bear. "Not necessarily, we know for a fact now that someone threw Erasa in here." He said matter-of-factly.

Lime stood straight. "Then it really isn't you guys." It confirmed.

Gohan looked at it. "You still thought it was us?" He asked in disbelief.

Lime moved its body in shock. "N- No! Of course not!" It insisted.

Sharpner's eyes fixed on Lime. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood right now, bear." He growled softly.

Videl walked beside the two blondes. "We should hurry home." She advised. "Erasa should visit the hospital…" She glanced at Lime. "Thank you, Lime… For helping." She said; a hint of relief in her voice.

Sharpner stood up as he aided Erasa to her feet, holding her close so she would not fall. "Are you okay?" He asked softly.

She nodded. "I'll be okay with you." She smiled softly as the four began making their way to the door.

"W- Wait!" Lime called after them. "Y- You're going to leave me here all alone?"

The four halted and turned to the bear. "Leave you?" Sharpner asked in confusion. "But you live here."

Lime bowed its body sorrowfully. "Well… Yeah, but…" It said meekly.

Erasa pushed gently away from Sharpner and shuffled towards the bear suit. "Don't worry, Lime." She said softly, placing her hand gently on its head. "We'll come and visit again. So be a good bear and wait here until then."

Lime beamed up at her, tilting its body back so as to see her face. "Thank you." It said softly.

Back on the other side of the TV, the four friends came to a hospital room. Sharpner and Gohan stood to the side of the girls, watching over them while they sat together. All three of her rescuers now back in their original clothing, with Sharpner holding his stitched up stab wound.

"Are you sure you're okay, Erasa?" Videl asked in a scared tone. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

Erasa shook her head with a soft smile. "I promise I'm okay, Delly. I'm just a little tired…" She said sleepily.

"Do you remember anything?" Gohan chimed in.

Her usual smile dipped slightly. "I'm sorry… I don't remember anything…" She spoke softly.

Videl's hand lay over Erasa's own softly. "Don't worry, Erasa. You're safe now." She spoke delicately.

Sharpner's expression was serious as his mind worked. "So…" He began, deep in thought. "There's no mistake. Erasa was… attacked the same way as the others. And I have a feeling that the person we saw on the Midnight Channel was Erasa's Shadow. Maybe the things Erasa was suppressing in this world took form in the TV…?"

Gohan looked at him. "I think Lime was talking about that." He commented.

Sharpner shook his head and sighed. "It's no use. My minds just going round in circles." His fist tightened slightly. "What kinda sick sadistic bastard would do something like this?"

Gohan placed his hand on Sharpner's tense shoulder. "Let's put some thought into it tomorrow. We're all pretty tired after today." He advised.

Sharpner nodded as Videl stood up. "If it's alright with you guys…" Sharpner spoke. "I'd like to stay with Erasa for a while before leaving."

Videl nodded. "Sure, just… Make sure you get home soon. We'll see you tomorrow. And Erasa… Try to rest up."

Sharpner smiled and sat next to Erasa as Videl led Gohan out of the room.

Back home, brother and sister sat at their usual place as the door slid open.

"He's home!" Chiyori cheered before running to the door. She immediately ran back to hide behind Gohan as Yamcha walked in followed by three other men.

"Hello." The blonde one with the tattooed eye on his forehead greeted with a gruff voice and friendly wave while dressed in a magenta button shirt with a light-pink stripe pattern and a violet-white suit with turquoise and mint-green tie.

"It's nice to meet you." The shortest one, wearing a light Valentino suit and dark tie patterned by a column of skull emblems with upright, cat-like ears, addressed the siblings, standing partly in his shadow.

"We finished work early, so I thought I'd bring these three down to meet you all." Yamcha informed them with a smile and wave to the three beside him.

Tien and Chiaotzu bowed courteously while Puar bent over and smiled widely. "Hi there." He chirped, greeting the little girl. "I'm Puar, do you remember me?"

Chiyori moved further behind Gohan, covering herself from view.

"Lay off her, Puar." Yamcha advised with a commanding tone. "Can't you see she's shy?"

Puar stood up straight and hung his head. "My apologizes." He blurted out.

The six sat around the chabudai and ate dinner together.

Puar chimed in to Gohan as they ate. "Oh, you're friends with Erasa Pynk-Rubber, aren't you?"

Gohan nodded, not wanting to talk with his mouth full of food.

Chiaotzu spoke up beside Puar. "They found her, she's safe and sound so don't worry tonight." He slurped up his warm ramen hungrily.

Gohan gave a smile as he swallowed his own ramen. "Thank you, we owe you a lot." He spoke thankfully to the four.

Both Chiaotzu and Puar look shocked to be thanked. "Oh… You're welcome." They said awkwardly.

Tien, however, gave Chiaotzu a stern look. "Chiaotzu, don't speak with your mouth full!" He ordered in his gruff tone.

Chiaotzu became quiet as Puar prattled on. "That's not the end of it though. We just got finished speaking with Miss Pynk-Rubber. But she doesn't seem to remember anything about her disappearance or her whereabouts during it."

Yamcha fixed Puar with a glare. "Puar! Stop talking!" He almost growled.

Puar jumped from fright and hung his head. "S- Sorry." He murmured.

Yamcha looked at the frightened young girl beside him. "Ignore him; he's just spouting some wild fantasy, Chiyori."

She flung her arms around his waist. "Protect me?" She asked in fear.

Yamcha, taken aback by the sudden action, smiled and petted her hair. "I promise, Chiyori." He said.

Puar chuckled and muttered to Gohan. "So he does seem to have a softer side around Chiyori." He pointed out.

"I won't be able to be here tonight though." Yamcha informed the two. "So I'll need you, Chiyori, to clean up and lock the door."

Puar's hand landed on Gohan's shoulder. "And this guy can pack the lunches." He offered for Gohan.

Gohan looked at Puar's and on his shoulder. "Please don't touch me." He asked uncomfortably.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Puar spoke before speeding up his speech. "What was that, suspect number two?"

"Excuse me a moment." Yamcha spoke as he stood up and walked around the chabudai before smacking Puar on the back of the head.

Soon after, Gohan lay on his futon, his stomach turned from the ramen not agreeing with him.

The next morning during class, Gohan, who had not gotten much sleep the night before, and Videl took notes beside each other. Sharpner now absent due to attending Chico's funeral.

Videl turned to Gohan. "Um… Is it okay if I ask you a favor after class, Gohan?" She asked.

Gohan looked up from his notes to look at her. "…If I say no, are you-"He began.

Videl cut him off. "Great, do you play any sports?" She questioned.

Gohan let out a soft sigh. "A few…" He murmured tiredly.

Videl's lips broke into a smile. "Great, in that case, meet me after class."

After class, Videl led him to the sports hall where a team was practicing.

"Not… Basketball!" Gohan protested as he watched the teenagers running around the hall, shooting hoops and illegally travelling when they thought no one was looking.

Videl shrugged. "Oh, well, can't do anything about that now." She smirked and waved to the team.

Gohan began turning around. "Look let's just leave before someone-"

"Well, well, well…" A familiar voice came from the hall. "Look who decided to come crawling back."

Gohan turned his head to see Balla walking towards him in his basketball outfit. "Oh, sweet Kami…" He sighed under his breath.

Videl smiled warmly to Balla before presenting Gohan. "This is Son Gohan. He's here to join your team."

Gohan's eyes glanced at Videl before returning to look at Balla.

"Well…" Balla leaned in close to Gohan. "I might have an open spot for you."

Gohan leaned back slightly. "Um, hello, personal space?" He asked.

Balla chuckled. "You're a funny guy, Gohan-kun." He commented. "I can just tell you and I are gonna be good friends."

Just then, Balla's friend, who Gohan had witnessed him talking to, walked up behind Gohan, wearing the same outfit as Balla. "S'up, newbie." He greeted. "I'm Adida Telsar, soccer team manager."

"You… Lost or something?" Gohan asked as he blinked in confusion.

"Nah." Adida responded. "Balla's team is low on numbers and his friend dropped out from helping today so I said I'd cover for him."

"Yeah, poor guy…" Balla's smile dropped a little. "He hasn't really been feeling good lately so I understand. The news must have really shaken him to the core."

Videl chimed in. "And that's why Gohan's here." She announced; the three teens looked to her, Gohan holding a deadpan look on his face. "He just wants to help." She looked to Gohan. "The team's short on members for the next match so they need some teammates."

Balla nodded. "Yeah, see they're thinking of shutting our team down after next match if there aren't enough players. So we'd love a new recruit, man." He said with hope in his voice. "Please? Come on, man, we need some help, even if it's just a little."

Gohan sighed. "Alright, just tell me what to do." He reluctantly agreed, much preferring to study over extracurricular activities.

"Well, in that case…" Balla grinned. "Welcome aboard." He preceded to hand Gohan a basketball outfit.

"When did you-?" He began before Balla slapped him harmlessly on the back and pointed to the end of the basketball hall.

"Changing rooms are through that door and on the left." He informed. "Let's see how good you are today and I might make you a regular."

"I'll go down to the police station; I hear Sharpner got driven there after the funeral." Videl whispered to Gohan.

As Gohan walked away, clothes in hand, he looked back and mouthed; "I'll get you for this." to Videl. She stood and waved; a big grin on her lips.

Videl walked into the police station before hearing Sharpner yelling in one of the interrogation rooms. "I DID NOT HURT HER!" Came his voice.

Videl, immediately concerned, broke into a run to the interrogation room door. Other police members attempted to stop her but she ignored them.

She forced open the door as Yamcha spoke to Puar, who was being pinned against the wall by Sharpner, whose right fist was pulled back and angry tears in his eyes. "Mister Pencil, put the man down!" Yamcha ordered.

"The hell did you two do?!" Videl exploded in anger at the two law enforcers before rushing over to Sharpner, practically pulling him off Puar. "Its okay, Sharpner. It's okay." She placed her hand on his shaking body to comfort him when she noticed red fabric around his neck. "What's this?" She asked him.

Sharpner's voice trembled. "She… She left it for me…" He lifted his head to reveal the long, blood red scarf decorating his neck, along with bloodshot, watery eyes.

She tugged on his arm. "Come on, let's get you home." She spoke softly as he complied with her and moved towards the door, wiping his tears as he sniffled. Videl placed her hand on his back and led him away. "Focus your attention on someone else, you idiots. He'd never hurt her." She warned the other two just before leaving.

Tien and Chiaotzu appeared from the observation room beside the interrogation room as Puar and Yamcha walked out, the former fixing his suit on his body.

"So, what do you think?" Tien asked.

Yamcha shook his head. "I doubt it's him, alibi checks out and the reaction of Puar going overboard with the interrogation proved how much he cares about her."

"Well…" Tien grumbled. "Looks like we're back to square one.

Back in the basketball hall, Gohan stood beside Balla in his basketball outfit. "Hey, guys, good news." Balla addressed the team. "We got a new temp team member. His name's Son Gohan, so be nice."

He looked at Gohan expectantly, who quickly bowed. "Oh uh… Happy to help out." He informed the team of five.

"Thanks." The team said unenthusiastically.

"Wow, real barrels of fun, these guys are." Gohan mumbled under his breath.

Balla looked around. "Hey, uh… Where did everyone else go?" He asked the team.

"They bailed bro." One of the members informed him.

"We wanted to work on rebounds and pivots but they said they were tired and left." Another told him.

Balla's shoulders slumped. "Again? Oh man…" He said in despair.

Just then, a female student walked up to them with long, brown, wild hair that reached down to her shoulder-blades. Her endowed frame covered by a red shirt above dark, almost skintight jeans revealing her pear-shape and accenting her red high heels. She turned her head to glance at Balla and Gohan with pink and purple heterochromic eyes.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you." Balla continued to Gohan as he presented the girl. "This is Iggy Drazil; she's our team ma-"

"Whatever." Iggy spoke with a dismissive tone as she continued to walk while pushing her hair back behind her shoulder with the back of her hand. "Just act like I'm not even here. So don't even try asking for any favors, 'Kay?" She turned on a dime and faced Balla, eyes locking with his. "I'm done for today." She announced, wrapping a green scarf over her neck and shoulders before walking on.

"But…" Balla began, stammering slightly. "W- We still need to clean up the hall."

Iggy waved without looking back, slipping on a dark blue overcoat over her shirt and slinging a pink designer purse over her shoulder. "Not my problem. Catch you later, Piiza." She replied as she made her way to the door, leading to the sunset streets of Satan City.

Balla watched her go with slumped shoulders and a hung head. "Guess we just gotta clean it ourselves."

The teammates checked their cell phones and nodded to each other. "Yo, Balla, we gotta head." One of the member said as he began walking passed Balla.

"W- Wait, what?" Balla asked in surprise as the rest of the team followed suit. "Y- You serious?"

"Sorry, bro…" One called back to him. "There's a party on the other side of the city tonight so… Y'know. Anyway, thanks for the training session, we'll be back by tomorrow."

Balla's upper body dropped to a half bow. "Man, this is hopeless." He said in defeat. "Our team's gonna be disbanded."

Adida and Gohan walked up to him. "Hey, let's get this place cleaned up." Adida offered with a grin.

"Yeah, this place isn't going to clean itself." Gohan spoke with a faint smile.

Balla looked at the two and smiled.

The next day, Videl, Gohan and Sharpner sat in their homeroom. Gohan looked over his notes while Videl doodled on her notebook. Sharpner leaned back in his seat and clasped his hands together, raising them over his head to stretch his body so that his clothes clung to his frame, accentuating his muscles and subconsciously showing off his scarf.

"Ah, Mister Pencil, thank you for volunteering." Miss Nertari addressed the blonde.

Sharpner's eyes snapped open as he looked at her, all eyes on him with his arms still in the air. "Say what now?" He asked allowed before stumbling quickly to his feet.

"What was the first economic bubble incident in the world?" Miss Nertari asked.

Sharpner blinked. "Bubble… Incident?" He asked under his breath, completely clueless.

"Tulip Mania." Gohan whispered from behind his notes, loud enough for Sharpner to hear.

"Oh, uh… Tulip… Mania?" The blonde stammered, unsure of his answer.

Nertari humphed. "So you were listening after all. Yes, the correct answer is Tulip Mania. Tulip bulbs imported from Jingle Village are considered very valuable on account of how delicate they are…"

Her voice trailed into the background as Sharpner sat down next to Gohan. "Thanks, partner. You're a lifesaver." He said gratefully.

When class was over, Gohan, Videl and Sharpner stood outside the room.

"So, she roped you into the basketball team, huh?" Sharpner asked Gohan as he jerked his thumb to Videl.

Gohan shrugged. "I had no choice." He glanced at Videl. "Besides, they were a few team members short so I thought I'd lend a hand."

"And we're going to be late." Videl said as she observed her watch before grabbing onto Gohan's arm and tugging. "Come on, Gohan."

"H- Hey, pull any harder and my arms gonna come off." Gohan replied hastily.

"You playing too, Videl?" Sharpner asked as he looked at the short girl, arms crossed and smirking.

"Oh Kami, no." She said simply. "I already spend most of my time with you two burly boys, what makes you think I wanna train with more? I'm just going to observe." She stuck her tongue out at him jokingly.

Both Gohan and Sharpner chuckled at her comment. "Well, anyway, you two need to head off." Sharpner advised them. "I have a few things I need to get done."

Gohan nodded while Videl's brow rose questioningly. "Alright, just don't get into anymore trouble." She warned.

"Yes, mom." Sharpner retorted teasingly before the onyx eyed two turned and walked away.

Sharpner walked the opposite way and came to the stairs leading to the third and first floor of their school when a figure appeared from the third floor stairs, silhouetted by the sun in the window behind it. "Oh, you're Balla's backup boy, right?" A feminine voice asked him as heels clacked on the concrete stairs.

His eyes focused on the silhouette and recognized her. "You're Iggy, right?" He asked her.

Iggy walked passed him with a push of her hair over her red shirt. "To some…" She said with an air of elegance to her voice. "Not to you."

Sharpner turned his back on her and began walking down the stairs. "Stopped caring." He said bluntly.

"W- Wait!" Iggy called after him, her voice stammering for a moment.

Sharpner stopped and turned his head, his piercing brown eyes locked onto her. "What is it?" He asked quickly.

"How about you help me ditch managing basketball today?" She asked. "We can go shopping, hold my things…" She leaned on her left leg, pushing out her hip slightly. Sharpner could not help but follow her movements. "Have some fun." She finished.

"You had me at ditching basketball." He said with a smirk.

In the city, Sharpner followed closely behind Iggy as they strolled through the streets, coming to a fashion store that Iggy immediately entered.

Sharpner looked at the store name. "Choco Fur, huh? Well, this should be fun." He ended sarcastically before entering the store.

The walls and racks and shelves were lined with high brand clothes, selling anywhere from ten thousand Zeni to fifty thousand.

Sharpner's eye was caught by a modified trenchcoat-length gakuran with a tall, stiff collar and pierced on the left with a golden chain. "Hmm, this looks cool." He said as he tried it on to be a perfect fit.

Iggy stood in front of a mirror trying on several different types of hats.

First came a yellow fedora with a black strap around it, she discarded it quickly before picking up a gray flat cap that practically deflated on her hair. The next one was a black and white checkered top hat that tilted on her head.

"Nope…" She rejected the hat as she placed it where she found it and tried on an ornamented hat with a visor holding a golden card with the imprint of a hand protruding from it sat snugly in its rim, while the back of the cap was cut out entirely, save for a strap to hold it in place on one's head.

"This doesn't look good either!" She said in frustration and tossed the cap behind her before hearing a sharp cry of pain behind her.

She turned quickly to see Sharpner, still wearing the jacket, with the cap having landed perfectly on his head, pointing to her with narrowed eyes and hand in his pocket. "What about this one!" He spoke in a gruff tone before walking up to her and picking out a green sun hat with a light green ribbon from beside her. "Here!"

She placed it on her head and looked in the mirror before her eyes lit up. "Oh my, this is amazing!" She squealed with glee.

Sharpner stood behind her, one hand in his pocket while the other's finger traced the rim of the black hat's visor as he closed his eyes. "Good grief." He muttered.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **"This Isn't Your Decision! I'm Helping!"**

Sharpner left the store, arms full of bags of clothes all for Iggy, leaving him empty-handed from the hat and jacket as he walked alongside her in his usual attire. "It's so nice having someone to chaperone my shopping for me." Iggy spoke in delight. "I can get anything I want."

The two sat at a café with Sharpner writing in a notebook, the line of bags Sharpner carried connected them both across the square table.

Iggy stretched her arms above her head. "It feels so good to be out." She exclaimed to the overcast sky.

"So, uh…" Sharpner began. "When does the fun begin exactly?" His voice carried an aura of disappointment.

Iggy gave a small giggle. "Silly, it started an hour ago once we left school." She informed him to his surprise.

"Huh…" He said as he took a large gulp of his soda before muttering. "Must have missed that flight."

Iggy giggled again and sipped her chocolate milkshake through her straw. "Y'know, you're funny… I think I might like you."

Sharpner gave a smirk and hung his arm behind his chair. "Sorry babe, but I'm not one to kiss on the first date." He spoke sarcastically.

Her giggle continued. "And here I thought you'd be another boring square." She confided.

"Well… I haven't ditched class in years; it's a nice change of pace." Sharpner shared.

"Ooh, we have a good little boy here, huh?" She flirted.

Sharpner gained a small tint of red under his cheeks and avoided her gaze, hiding his face slightly before glancing up as she spoke again, taking a sip of his own drink.

"I think you and I should get together again." Iggy said with a warm smile. "Though maybe somewhere a little more… Private." She gave the blonde a wink.

Sharpner's throat closed up and he choked slightly on his drink from taking a sharp intake of breath from her response.

The next day, Videl rushed up to Gohan as he walked to school under a hail of rain. The two walked together, sheltered by their umbrellas. "Did you hear? Erasa said she'd be back by next week at the latest." Videl informed Gohan with a broad grin. "I'm super happy!"

"It's all thanks to you, Videl." Gohan praised her with a warm smile.

Her eyes widened and she turned away, hiding a blush that flushed her face. "C- C'mon, you know it's because all three of us did our best…" She paused as her blush died down and she looked back at the onyx-eyed teen. "Actually, us three and Lime, even if the damn thing hid while we fought."

She blinked as she remembered something. "Hey, do you know what happened to Sharpner yesterday? It's not like him to not walk us home. I tried calling but his phone went straight to voicemail."

Gohan thought for a moment. "Well, nothing could have happened to him on the other side, we would have known about it by now. Maybe he's just busy. We'll find out during class."

Gohan and Videl walked into class to see Sharpner sitting at his seat.

"Hello, Earth to Doofus." Videl said as they walked up to him. "I was calling you all evening."

Sharpner looked up from his hands cradling his head, bloodshot eyes looking back at them. "Oh… Hey…" He said meekly. "Sorry… Didn't get much sleep last night." His face returned to being cradled by his face.

Videl and Gohan looked at each other with concern. "You, uh… Gonna help Balla today, Sharpner?" Videl asked softly.

The blonde nodded into his hands without a word.

"Let's just… Wait until practice." Gohan advised in a hushed tone to Videl. "I'm sure he'll feel better sleeping through class."

Videl nodded and the two took their seats beside Sharpner.

After their classes had ended, the three walked to the sports hall in the practice building adjacent to the main building.

"I'll wait here for you guys to get changed." Videl told them while she sat on a nearby chair.

"You better stay here." Sharpner smirked, the sleep through the day having brightened his spirits. "I don't want you watching us change like a pervert."

Videl's eyes narrowed to slits. "The only pervert here is you!" She responded angrily, hands balled into fists.

The blonde grinned before he motioned Gohan towards the changing rooms. "Come on, before Balla has a heart attack from half the team ditching."

The two walked away from Videl to change into their sports outfits. Videl glancing a little lower than usual in their direction and a faint smile tugging on her lips. She then blinked and shook her head before looking away.

An hour later, Videl flipped through a sports magazine, eyeing several sports equipment she liked and marked them with black lines while the boys practiced.

Sharpner spun around his opposition, passing the ball to Gohan who caught it before leaping into the air and dunking the sphere into the hoop, tying both teams by the end.

"Alright, guys…" Balla called out as Adida passed out cold bottles of water to everyone from his cooler. "Up next is just simple passes. Geo, you fumbled on the ball a few times so you'll be with me. Rance, try not to keep slipping on the floor; I know they're old shoes but come on man, work with Adida on this one. Sharpner, you and Gohan train together. You two did good out there, even you newbie."

Videl smiled as she watched them, closing her magazine and leaning forward, arms on her legs supporting her head in her hands.

A while later, the team were passing fluently through the air. "Nice, Geo, keep practicing and you guys'll win for sure." Adida called over to the teammate.

"You'd think the team manager would show up at least." Geo complained.

"I know, right?" Rance said beside him. "That babe's the only reason I come to practice. I mean… Have you seen her ass?"

Geo laughed. "Me too, that chick's prolly flirtin' with some dude right now. Hey yo, Sharpner, aren't you her sugar daddy now after she came onto you yes- Oof!"

Suddenly, a basketball bounced off Geo's face before launching into Rance's.

"Oops…" Sharpner called out darkly before picking the ball up again.

"Come on guys, leave her alone, and don't be making up a bunch o' shit about her! What has she ever done to you g-" Balla's voice suddenly stopped talking as he looked to the emergency exit. "Shit…" He said aloud as Iggy turned and walked out of the gym.

Immediately, Sharpner dropped the ball and ran after her.

"Hey, wait up." Sharpner called after her as she ran up the stairs onto the roof of the school.

Sharpner shouldered the door open to see Iggy standing in the centre of the roof, eyes up at the sky as she sighed softly. "I'm not upset…" She informed him. "In fact…" Her face smiled and she looked down at her body. "I like the attention."

Sharpner looked at her perplexed. "So… The guys saying that stuff… You don't mind?" He asked in confusion.

Iggy shook her head and let out another, happy, sigh. "Can we talk for a bit?" She asked.

Sharpner walked with her to a waist high wall running through the roof's floor before they sat down.

Iggy cast her eyes down to her hands as she traced her palm. "You want to know why I want guys to think I'm beautiful…?" She asked, continuing without an answer. "It's because of my mother. Before she married into wealth, there was another man… My father. She would go on and on to me when I was younger about how he was the most beautiful man she had ever met."

Her eyes moved up to the sky and she smiled to the clouds. "Long, wild hair the blackest of nights, pools of dark eyes that swam with mystery and intensity. Voice rough yet so soft that even timid animals would listen to him. His heart beating strong and securing her safety in the world even from afar. She adored every single part of him."

Tears began trickling down her eyes as her lips quivered and voice shook gently. "He died seven years ago… A man came to our doorstep and handed her this." Her hand reached to her neck and gently graced the scarf around her neck as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I've never let it leave my sight since then… It still feels like he's with me…"

Sharpner felt the silk of his own scarf around his neck. "Yeah…" He breathed.

"I want to be beautiful for him…" Iggy continued. "The way mom looked at him, I want my husband to look at me and feel the same. I want to make them proud. That's why I don't mind guys talking about me."

She sniffled as tears continued to swim down her face. "Here…" Sharpner said as he wiped her tears with his sleeve. "I'm sure you're making them proud. You'll find your man soon. I'm sure of it."

She smiled and held his hand as it grazed her cheek. "Thank you… Though you should get back, the others will be looking for you."

That night, Gohan sat with Chiyori while Yamcha lay on the couch. All three watching the news. "Due to the rainfall and overcast weather, clear skies seem unlikely for the rest of the week." The female announcer reported. "A thick fog is expected to set in by weeks end and last until Monday morning. Anyone planning on driving until said Monday is advised to be cautious on the road. Now for our hourly weather breakdown…"

Chiyori let out a sigh before changing the channel to the anime she watched the other day, this time with the same young man and a floating spirit behind him punching a wall before it repaired itself.

"Hey…" Yamcha warned softly. "What did I say about changing the channel without permission?"

She turned and pouted. "But it's boring watching the news. Plus, this episode is when Jo-"

"Chiyori…" Yamcha said in a warning tone.

She hung her head before changing the channel back. "I'm sorry, Mister Yamcha." She spoke softly.

Just then, the news went to commercial as the Julays advertisement came on, perking Chiyori's ears. "Have a great day even during Golden Week at your Julays!" The female announcer informed them. "Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! And remember…"

Chiyori's eyes lit up happily as she sang along. "Everyday's great at your Julays!"

Gohan could not help but smile at his little sister's happiness.

Chiyori quickly turned to Yamcha. "Mister Yamcha, they're gonna be open on Golden Week!" She said happily.

Yamcha sat forward and chuckled, giving her a smile. "I heard kiddo. Do you wanna go somewhere for the holiday?" He asked.

She nodded happily. "Uh huh, I wanna have a picnic at Julays!" She declared happily, raising her hands into the air excitedly.

Yamcha gave a quick glance to Gohan before looking back at her. "That's… it?" He asked, perplexed.

"Uh huh!" She replied with a big smile.

Yamcha's smile returned. "That sounds like a… wonderful idea…" He said, a little less enthusiastically than Chiyori. "And Gohan can make the boxed lunches." He added.

Gohan looked up with doe eyes as he looked from Yamcha to Chiyori, seeing her beaming eyes locked on him. He gave a smile. "Boxed lunches it is then." He assured her.

Chiyori immediately flung herself over the chabudai to hug Gohan. "Thank you!" She exclaimed happily.

"Alright…" Yamcha pushed himself off the couch. "Time for bed, Chiyori."

She let go of Gohan and pouted. "Alright, night Gohan." She smiled at him.

In Gohan's room, he stood with his phone to his ear. "Yeah… Sharpner? I need help…" He spoke to the blonde through the phone as he took out a pen and notebook. "How do you make boxed lunches?"

The next morning, Sharpner walked down the street towards the school when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and read Iggy's message. _'Hey, Handsome, can you ask Piiza something for me? 3_ '

Sharpner's brow rose to this. ' _Why?_ ' He texted back.

' _Come on please? I wanna ask if he likes anyone but I'm too scared. Won't a brave man like you help me out? ~_ '. She replied.

Sharpner sighed as he remembered her words yesterday and ran his fingers over his scarf. ' _Sure_ '. He responded.

' _Yay, thank you, I'll make it worth your while! ^.^ 3_ '. Her text came in before Sharpner pocketed his phone as he came to the school gates. "I've heard that before…" He grumbled, feeling slightly manipulated by her words.

"Do I like anyone?" Balla asked in the sports equipment room as he and Sharpner cleaned up the used equipment for the day. "Why would you ask that? Is my charm working on you now, Sharp?" He grinned jokingly.

"Just answer the damn question." Sharpner said, unamused as he dumped a basketball in a cleaning towel before shaking it around to clean it.

"Uh… well…" Balla began, a soft blush appearing under his eyes. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

Sharpner simply gave his friend a deadpan look.

"Fine…" Balla paused. "I… have a thing for… Vid-" He suddenly stopped as Sharpner held up the basketball with narrowed eyes. "Wait, wait! I know you like her, dude. I wouldn't do that to you, I swear! We don't talk as much like before high school but we're still friends, I wouldn't do that to you, man." He panicked.

Sharpner lowered the ball. "It's not that I like her." He said. "It's that I want to make sure she's safe. You understand that, don't you?"

Balla nodded. "J- Just don't tell her, okay?" He pleaded. "If she found out, I don't know what would happen. I'd be the laughing stock of the whole school."

"I promise, Balla." Sharpner spoke. "Now get going, I'll finish up here."

"Alright, catch you later, man." Balla said as he walked to the door.

"Balla…" Sharpner called after him without turning.

"Yeah, man?" Balla called back as he turned at the door.

Sharpner thought on warning him not to go near Videl from now on but decided against it. "Good luck at the match this week." He said instead.

"Thanks, bro." Balla said happily before closing the door behind him.

Just then, Sharpner heard something stirring in the room and a whimper. "Huh?" He asked aloud before lifting the lid off a vaulting horse to see Iggy curled up with her head between her legs.

"Oh…" Sharpner breathed.

On the roof, Sharpner struggled to pull Iggy from the guard fence. "I'm gonna jump!" She screamed.

"Calm the hell down!" Sharpner grunted as he tugged with his arms around her waist, attempting to be careful where his hands lay with her squirming. "You're being irrational, damn it!"

Suddenly, her hand struck his face and he let go, stumbling slightly from the pain as she climbed down from the fence and backed up against it, tears streaming down her face. "Irrational! How dare that jerk like someone like her! I… I worked really hard to look like this… She's not as pretty as me!"

Sharpner pinched the bridge of his nose to calm his feelings over what was just said and sighed. "Look… As much as I'd love to see someone fall to their death…" He said sarcastically. "I'm the only other person here… And there is a serial murder case going on! Think about this… For my sake!"

Silence fell over the roof for several moments.

"Alright… Well, I guess that means you're my boyfriend." Iggy declared suddenly.

Sharpner's eyes widened and his heart skipped unnervingly. "Say what now?" He asked.

Iggy placed her hands together and beamed at him happily. "You saved my life, so that means we're dating…" She informed him. "That's how this works, right?"

"In a fairytale maybe." Sharpner protested. "This is reality."

She began thinking about the things they would do together. "I have a boyfriend!" She declared happily before becoming a love drunk mess in front of him.

Sharpner's scarf began to feel like it was on fire as his throat tightened slightly. "You know what… Jump!" He commanded to deaf ears. "Soar like a fucking eagle!"

Iggy grabbed his forearm and held it tight, nuzzling him happily.

"This is it…" Sharpner said hollowly. "I've lost complete control of my life."

"You got a girlfriend?" Gohan asked in wonder as the three walked home together. "Come on, tell us who it is."

"Iggy Drazil…" Sharpner confessed in regrettable hollowness.

Videl almost choked on her drink before she caught her breath. "My condolences." She said as she patted his shoulder-blade.

"Thank you…" He responded before Theory of a Deadman's _Bad Girlfriend_ began playing from his back pocket.

"Uh… You gonna get that…?" Gohan asked as Sharpner continued to walk.

The blonde sighed and took out his phone. "Hello?" He asked, placing the receiver to his face.

"Too slow!" Iggy complained through the phone.

Sharpner immediately hung up.

"Trouble in paradise already, huh?" Gohan observed.

"Get bent!" Sharpner growled before storming off.

"So what do you think of them?" Videl asked at the Julays food court the next day while Gohan ate his plate of Ceaser Salad hungrily. "Ish goof." He replied hastily, happily munching on his food.

"Not the food!" Videl snapped angrily. "Sharpner and Iggy! I'm scared for his health…"

"I'm scared for his wallet." Gohan chuckled slightly.

Videl slammed her fist on the table, causing his food to jump slightly off his plate. "Take this seriously! It's already been one day and he's been dragged behind the bleachers for a make-out session, made carry her bags everywhere and hasn't had a single chance to talk to us today before she's on his arm like some harlot!"

Gohan's brow rose to her reaction before he smiled. "I see what's going on here…"

Videl looked to him. "What are you implying?" She asked warningly.

Gohan held up his hands. "Don't worry, just leave everything to me. I'll make sure my best friend gets out of this alive by week's end." He assured her.

"Gohan… You're scaring me." Videl said bluntly.

In the school's male changing room, Balla sat on the bench while Sharpner cleaned his locker, now dressed in his casual clothes.

"Hey, Sharp…" Balla said to his friend. "After this week's game, I think I'm gonna quit the team, there's just too much stress for it to be fun anymore."

Sharpner remained with his back to Balla. "Can we please not have this conversation while you're naked please?" He demanded.

"It helps me think, damn it!" Balla said as he crossed his legs.

"Yeah, whatever…" Sharpner sighed, still refusing to turn around.

"Hey, why don't you get naked too?" Balla asked. "It'll help you get your head clear with whatever's bugging you."

"Not if there were a million strippers inv-" Sharpner paused. "Actually no, I take that back. Not on your life."

The day of the big game rolled by on Saturday and Sharpner and Gohan stood waiting with Adida and Balla.

Videl and Iggy sat beside each other. Iggy beamed at her boyfriend while Videl glared from her to having a protective watch over Sharpner.

Sharpner grinned as he cracked his knuckles before taking his lowered stance while Gohan stood ready beside him.

"Ready, partner?" Sharpner asked the black haired teen.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He replied confidently to the blonde.

The ball was thrown into the air before the opposing team leader and Balla jumped high. The leader smacked the ball from Balla's grasp before his teammate caught it.

"Adida!" Balla called out as the team came to their side.

"On it!" Adida responded as he launched forward, side stepping an intercepting opponent before the holder passed the sphere. Adida thought quickly as he threw himself forward, catching the ball before the other teammate could put his hands on it.

In a split second the ball was tossed over his shoulder into the hands of Balla who ran brazenly through the hall.

"Left side!" Sharpner called out before the opposition caught up to Balla, attempting to knock the ball from his grasp.

Seeing an opportunity, Balla swept his hand to the side, slamming the basketball into the ground, launching it into the air to his right before Gohan ran up to him.

Gohan's feet left the ground as he caught the ball in his arms. Lifting his hands over his head, the teen slammed the ball into the hoop and hung there momentarily before jumping off.

Videl cheered happily for him, feeling a sense of pride welling in her heart. "Yeah!" She called out happily.

Balla looked at her, feeling a pang of jealousy as he turned and narrowed his eyes on the game.

"Just to let you know…" Iggy spoke darkly to Videl, not taking her eyes from the match. "I despise you."

"Ditto." Videl snapped equally as darkly. "Now keep your trap shut and watch the game."

"How dare you!?" Iggy hissed. "First you steal Balla from me, now you're trying to get Sharpner too? I see the way you look at him!"

Videl was taken aback. "Wait, hold up…" She said in disbelief. "Steal Balla?"

"Yes!" Iggy finally turned to glare at her. "From me, you grubby bitch!"

"The hell are you talking about?" Videl asked irritably. "You're the one who kept Sharpner from Gohan and me!"

"I can't help it if he's that handsome." Iggy admitted. "I mean… Have you seen him?"

Videl sighed. "Look, what if you just go and ask Balla if he likes you directly. I'll even help you after match."

Iggy blinked. "Really? You'd do that?" She asked in surprise.

"If it means getting Sharpner back to us, yeah. We miss him, you know?" Videl said with a hint of sadness to her voice.

Iggy thought for a moment. "He really means that much to you, huh?" She asked softly, looking down at her feet.

"Yes… He's been my friend for a long time; I don't want to lose him." Videl confided in her.

Iggy smiled sadly. "Alright… I'll let him know after the match. I wouldn't want to take anyone that important from someone who loves him that much."

"Thank you…" Videl said softly.

"He's still cute though." Iggy added.

Videl chuckled.

Near the end of the match with the score tied, Sharpner sized up an opposing team member with the ball.

"Say goodbye to the match." The member jeered.

Sharpner smirked. His eyes shifted around his opponent before fixing his gaze on him.

His opponent made his move, swerving left around Sharpner before leaping into the air, throwing his hands forward. "What the-?!" He yelled.

He landed on the ground in a crouch and turned to see Sharpner facing him, spinning the ball on his left finger; the rest of both of the teams in awe of what just happened.

"And now you'll say: How the hell did you do that?!" Sharpner predicted, his free hand pointing to the opponent. "…Right?"

"How the hell did you do that?" The member said before freezing in place, his eyes widening.

Sharpner's smirk grew. "Your right ankle's redder than your left, so I deduced that you'd favor my left side as a route to take. Along with that… Your socks aren't on your feet, leading me to believe that if you're as hasty as you are to forget to put them on before a game, you'd also want to be quick in beating your opponent, which is how I calculated your speed."

The opponent looked at his feet to see both socks missing and a more pronounced red abrasion on his right ankle.

"Furthermore!" Sharpner continued, the ball still spinning on the tip of his finger. "The sweat on your left hand is less than that on your right, insinuating to me that you play more with your left hand with the sweat being moved from your hand to the ball. Giving me the perfect way to quickly snatch the ball from you in my own left hand."

With that, he ceased his spinning of the ball and tossed it behind him to the end of the hall where Gohan waited before jumping into the air to catch the ball and dunk it into the hoop before the bell rang, signaling the end of the game and Balla's team winning by one point.

His opponent stood up as Balla's team cheered for Gohan's winning score. "You used that time to stall until the end, didn't you?" He asked.

Sharpner simply smiled and bowed. "A pleasure as always." He replied to his opponent.

"Nice one." His opponent replied as he and Sharpner exchanged a handshake. "Well played, your team leader must be very proud of himself."

Sharpner looked to his old friend, lifting Gohan over his shoulder in triumph before nodding and turning back. "He seems it."

Just then, Videl glanced to her left to see Erasa at the entrance, pulling down her umbrella from the evening rain outside; she now wore a dark sailor fuku covered with a green sweater and black opaque pantyhose, a pair of leather shoes and socks adorning her long legs.

"Erasa!" Videl called out before jumping to her feet and rushing over to her friend. "You're back!" She added ecstatically.

Erasa nodded as Gohan and Sharpner jogged up to her. "Yeah, I'll be coming back to school on Monday but I heard Sharpner was playing in a match today so I hurried over as fast as I could." Erasa smiled.

"You didn't miss much." Sharpner informed her modestly. "The team's heading over to The Stray Sheep after they grab a shower and tidy up after the match." He turned slightly to look at the team. "Hey, yo, Balla!" He called out. "Gohan and I are gonna clean up and head over with these two. Okay?"

"Save us some seats, won't you?" Balla called out as the team lifted him up as well.

"You two head on." Gohan commanded with a smile. "We'll go shower and catch up to you."

The two girls nodded before Videl looked to Iggy who smiled sadly and took a long breath.

"I'm sorry…" Erasa said as she, Gohan and Videl sat at a table at The Stray Sheep restaurant with Sharpner sitting at the counter, facing the others. Erasa shook her head. "No, sorry doesn't seem right… I want to say thank you. I realized that I was trying too hard at the Inn… I was too focused on thinking I had to do everything myself and I didn't talk to you guys."

"Even so…" A prominent blush appeared on her cheeks. "You guys saw everything… Especially the things…" She glanced at Videl momentarily. "I didn't want to admit."

"That's only one part of you." Gohan reassured her.

"Gohan's right, I can already see a change in you, 'Rase." Sharpner consoled her.

Erasa smiled. "I'd like to believe that…" She admitted solemnly.

Sharpner's stance changed from laid back to serious as he leaned forward. "Erasa, I know talking about it may be difficult but I need to ask again to see if you remember anything." He spoke softly so only the others could hear. "Did you recall anything at all from when you were kidnapped?"

She looked at the table in front of her for several seconds before shaking her head. "No… I thought I could after getting out of the hospital but… Ugh, it's really hazy." She shook her head in frustration.

Videl immediately placed her hand on her friends shoulder. "Easy, take your time." She reminded her.

Erasa concentrated. "I think… The doorbell rang at the entrance of the Inn and… Someone called for me… But when I woke up, I was already in the castle… I'm sorry I can't be any help."

Videl rubbed her back gently. "Don't sweat it, Erasa." She reassured with a smile. "But this might mean your visitor was the culprit."

Gohan cradled his chin in his hand. "If that's true, that's one daring criminal. What kind of killer just rings the doorbell?" He asked in thought.

"The cops are probably looking for witnesses… fat load o' good that's gonna do them." Sharpner pointed out. "It's not like there was anyone walking around with any elaborate fashion sense on the crime scene."

Videl leaned on her hands and pouted slightly. "I wonder who'd be so sick as to do something like this." She wondered aloud.

Sharpner crossed his arms to hide his balled up fists. "We won't know until we find the bastard ourselves…" He said darkly. "But we can be sure of something; it's no coincidence that people end up in the Midnight Channel now. And the person doing it is nothing more than a murdering piece of trash."

Erasa looked up at Sharpner. "Find him?" She asked.

"Oh, didn't we tell you?" Gohan asked. "Sharpner, Videl and I are gonna find the culprit ourselves seeing as we're the only ones who know of the Shadow Realm."

Silence engulfed the party of four while Erasa became deep in thought. "Let me help too." She suddenly broke the silence.

It took a moment for her words to sink into the others.

"Wait what?" Videl asked.

"Absolutely not!" Sharpner protested.

"Be quiet, both of you!" Erasa demanded, taking the other two aback. "This isn't your decision! I'm helping!"

"Erasa…" Sharpner spoke softly.

"Sharpie, I know you want to protect me." Erasa confirmed. "But please, I can't just sit around doing nothing while I know I can help."

"I don't think there's any talking her out of this, partner." Gohan pointed out to the male blonde.

Sharpner sighed and looked to Videl who nodded in agreement. "Just… stay close to us, got it?"

Erasa smiled and gave a reassuring smile.

"Alright, first thing after school on Monday is discussing our evidence." Gohan declared.

Just then, a waitress walked up and set down three bowls on the table and another in front of Sharpner. Each containing a large amount of meat and grease inside.

"Hey, we didn't order anything yet." Sharpner pointed out.

Gohan looked at the waitress. "…Chrysta?" He asked her as the waitress smiled at him.

"Hi again." She replied sweetly with her eyes closed and a slight tilt of her head.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Oh, the gas station went under because a lot of people are using a lot of Julays gas services now." Chrysta informed him. "So the manager referred me here."

Sharpner turned away slightly and rubbed the back of his neck gently.

"So… What's with the beef?" Gohan continued, seeing how uncomfortable Sharpner became.

"Oh, it's the mega beef bowl challenge. If you can eat it all, you get a prize. But if you can't, you'll get penalized." She informed them, bowing slightly. "Eat it before it gets cold." She walked off behind the counter and disappeared into the kitchen.

The three began eating from the bowl while Sharpner scoffed and pushed his bowl away from him. "I lost my appetite." He grumbled.

Several minutes later, the three pushed the bowls away, no progress visible from their feast. "I can't go on…" Gohan slumped back. "It's too much." Erasa wiped her lips with a napkin. "D- Ditto…" Videl groaned.

Gohan's phone buzzed and he looked at a text message from Videl. He glanced at her before she encouraged him to read it.

' _Can you talk to Sharpner later? He hasn't been acting himself lately. I think he needs someone to talk to right now and I think you're the best one for that._ ' Read the message.

Gohan texted back. ' _After we leave here._ ' He gave her a reassuring smile.

Chrysta returned and observed the group. "That'll be three thousand yen each." She informed them.

"Each!?" The four exclaimed in unison. "Hey, what the hell!?" Sharpner growled. "I didn't even touch mine!"

Chrysta turned to him. "In that case…" She crossed her arms. "Six thousand for you."

" _Nani!?_ " Sharpner growled in anger.

A while later, the team arrived with Balla, Adida, and Iggy joining the others. Gohan moved to let Adida and Iggy beside him while he sat at the edge of the table.

"So I've decided to not quit the team." Balla announced.

"Great!" Videl and Iggy cheered in unison before smiling at one another.

"Great…" Gohan said a little less enthusiastically before muttering. "Does that mean I can quit now?"

"So what changed your mind, Balla?" Adida asked.

"Iggy convinced me to do it. She said I make the sport look good." Balla said with a smile.

"Something tells me it's not the sport she thinks looks good." Videl said with a wink to Iggy.

"Oh hush you." Iggy grinned.

"So, Gohan, can I count on you again if we need a spare teammate?" Balla asked.

"Well…" Gohan began. "Since you're Sharpner's friend, I guess I can't follow this up with a bye like last time so… Alright."

"Great, I'll be counting on you if things get dicey." Balla held out his hand.

Gohan smiled and took it, feeling a bond form between them as they shook hands.

Night had fallen over the city as everyone left the Stray Sheep, Balla placing Iggy's jacket on her as they walked. "Catch you guys later." Balla called to the others. Iggy turned and mouthed a thank you to Videl who smiled back as they waved goodbye to the team.

Erasa turned to Sharpner. "Now, you listen here…" She began as she fixed his jacket. "You finish your shift and you head straight home, understood?"

"Yes, mom." Sharpner teased as he booped her nose gently. "Make sure she gets home safe, Videl."

"I will." Videl promised. "Now come on, Erasa, before you get a cold." The two girls walked away as Gohan walked with Sharpner.

"Who knew you wanted a part-time job in retail." Sharpner jeered light-heartedly as they walked towards Julays.

"I have to get experience somehow, right?" Gohan pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess." Sharpner confirmed. "Don't worry; I'll put in a good word with the manager. It can get lonely working there without a friend."

Gohan waited in the entrance of Julays for Sharpner to come back from speaking to his manager. He leaned against some shopping carts before Sharpner appeared from an elevator, holding a plate of food.

"Here, I brought you this in case you get nervous for the interview. Can't concentrate if you feel empty inside because of nerves, right?" He smiled as he gave his friend some Ceaser salad.

"Thanks." Gohan accepted the food and ate it slowly.

"You enjoying our high quality city leaves?" Sharpner jested. "Videl seems to hold it in high regard so I thought why not the best for one of my friends."

Just then, his phone went off. "Oh, a message!" He said excitedly as he took out his flip phone. His expression soon dropped to a sullen one as he pressed the delete button. "More spam…" He murmured, putting his phone away.

"None of your friends text you?" Gohan asked.

Sharpner gave a soft chuckle. "Friends… You guys are the only friends I have. Ever since I started working at Julays, everyone stayed away from me. Balla kept in touch to see how I was but other than that… Poof, nada. It only got worse after…" His voice trailed off. "I'm not liked very much in this city by most people."

"Don't you have friends in West City?" Gohan asked.

Sharpner shook his head. "I was five when I left there, Gohan. I could barely talk to girls let alone make friends."

"You have us now though." Gohan reminded him. "That's gotta count for something, right?"

"Yeah… You have a point there." Sharpner admitted with a soft smile before looking at him. "Thanks, Gohan."

Gohan shrugged. "What are friends for?" He asked with an equal smile on his lips.

"And I know you didn't really want a job here…" Sharpner told him. "I'll try my best to stop being an ass, it's just… It's been really rough lately."

Gohan's brow rose. "I still need a job, Sharpner. Come on, you honestly think I'd lie about something like that to you?"

Sharpner looked at him. "Oh… Well… Uh… I should probably tell my manager for real this time." He stammered before rushing to the elevator.

"What the-?!" Gohan began before chasing after him. "You mean you wasted time!"

Later that night, Gohan sat on his couch as the clock struck midnight and the room was backed in a golden glow as the Midnight Channel came on. As he looked closely, there was not a single silhouette in sight. "We did it…" He breathed in relief.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **"Our Judge of Justice!"**

Gohan woke up to his phone ringing before he snatched it lazily and placed it to his head. "Hullo?" He asked sleepily.

"Hi, it's um… It's Videl, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go out with me today?" She asked before letting out a startled gasp. "N- Not like a date or anything, just training." She reassured him. "I uh… I need to work off that beef bowl from last night." She let out a nervous laugh.

Gohan sat up straight and looked at his clock before his eyes widened. "It's six in the morning!" He pointed out.

"I like to get out early." She informed him.

He rubbed his face and sighed. "Where should we meet up?" He asked.

"Excellent!" Videl called out through the phone. "I'll text you the details and we can meet up there. See you soon!" She hung up quickly.

"Ugh…" Gohan groaned. "I need to learn how to say no…"

Gohan arrived in the centre of the city square and sat by the central fountain, bathed in the rising sunlight.

Five minutes later, Videl arrived and ran up to him. "Hey, sorry I'm late." She apologized quickly before beginning to stretch. "Thanks for coming to train with me; I need to keep my skills sharp if I'm gonna be any good in battle. I tried practicing at home, but it was boring and my dad used up the last of the punching bags." She turned excitedly to Gohan as she finished her stretches. "Come on, let's train."

Gohan stood up and stretched out his arm, rotating it as his other hand held his shoulder. "Alright, let's get to it."

Videl pumped the air with her fist. "Yes! Thanks, Gohan-kun!" She exclaimed before covering her mouth. "I'm sorry, I know you so I shouldn't use honoraries." She blushed and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly before clearing her throat. "Anyway…"

The two trained vigorously for two hours until Gohan collapsed back onto the fountain, sweat glistening on his face as he caught his breath while drinking from a bottle of water.

Videl bent forward and supported herself with her hands on her legs before straightening back up as she took a long breath. "The other day… After you and Sharpner saw my shadow… I couldn't sleep the night after. Knowing something that bad lived inside me, and that you two found out… I felt sick and pathetic. So I decided I'd work harder to change myself."

Gohan nodded as he leaned forward, wiping his face with a towel he brought with him. "If it makes you feel any better, Sharpner and mine weren't any better." He reassured her.

Videl smiled. "I'll have to ask you about that sometime." She jested as she leaned back before moving to sit down next to Gohan to clean her face and drink her water.

Just then, sirens sounded out over the city and Videl looked up before her hand moved to her phone, checking her call log before sighing. "Guess they don't need me anymore." She said sorrowfully.

"I'm sure they'd call if it was something big, right?" Gohan reassured her.

Videl gave a soft humph before her lips curled slightly. "If only… Don't worry though; I have a feeling that with you by my side, I'll be unstoppable." She gave a bright smile as Gohan felt their bond deepen.

The next day, the four sat side by side in class. Sharpner seemed to be turned away from Erasa slightly as she looked through her notes.

"Now class…" Their general language teacher, Miss Hamilton, spoke in her thick Central City accent. "I am delighted to welcome back Miss Erasa Pynk-Rubber to class. She has been in the hospital for some time now so I would ask each and every one of you to help her with anything she needs."

Erasa looked up in surprise. "Oh, no, Miss Hamilton, that's quite alright." She said, flustered slightly.

"Nonsense." Miss Hamilton replied. "You're still recovering, my dear. So again, if you need help, you merely ask for it. Am I understood?"

Erasa bowed her head. "Yes, Ma'am…" She said dejectedly.

"Now then…" Miss Hamilton returned to teaching her class. "Mister Pencil, can you inform me of our honorific terms of San, Kun, Senpai and Sensei please."

Sharpner stood up and cleared his throat. "San is the most common honorific title. San is similar to _Mr._ , _Ms._ , _Mrs._ , and so on. There is no kanji form for san, it's written in hiragana. San may also be used with a characteristic of a person. Both san and its more formal equivalent, Sama, imply familiarity. In formal speech or writing, the title Shi may be preferred."

He took a breath and continued. "Kun is informal and mostly used for males, such as boys or juniors at work. It is used by superiors to inferiors, by males of the same age and status to each other, and in addressing male children. In business settings junior women may also be addressed as Kun by superiors. School teachers typically address male students using Kun, while female students are addressed as san or chan."

The other three's heads turned slowly to look at Sharpner. "Senpai is used by students to refer to or address senior students in an academic or other learning environment, or in athletics and sports clubs, and also in business settings to refer to those in more senior positions. While Sensei is used to refer to or address teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, or other authority figures. It is also used to show respect to someone who has achieved a certain level of mastery in some skill. It is used by fans of novelists, musicians, and artists."

"Thank you, Mister Pencil." Miss Hamilton addressed him with a smile.

Sharpner sat down and glanced at the other three. "What?" He asked in confusion.

"You never use honorifics around us, Sharpner." Videl pointed out. "How do you know that?"

"I studied because I thought people were making fun of me when I was younger." Sharpner confessed before Erasa smiled.

"Aw, did little Sharpie-kun get shy…?" She teased him.

Sharpner turned red slightly. "Don't say it like that!" He protested. "Just… Let's get to the food court soon… I can't wait much longer."

"Okay, Mister Grumpy." Erasa poked him playfully, causing him to sit up straight.

The four sat around a table in the food court.

"Alright, what do we have at the moment?" Sharpner asked.

"Well…" Videl began. "I have Ceaser Salad, Erasa has ice cold water, and Gohan has-"

"Not like that!" Sharpner cut her off. "Evidence? Leads? Please tell me I'm not the only one keeping track of this stuff!"

"I'm the third one to be targeted…" Erasa pointed out. "But I have a feeling this won't be the end of it. If we had an idea of who would be next, we could be one step ahead of the killer."

"So we outsmart them?" Gohan asked. "That might work." He looked to Sharpner. "Alright, let's see if we can figure out what ties the victims together."

Sharpner nodded and took out a notebook. "First there was that announcer, Razio Racorde." He said as he read over his notes. "Second was…" He paused for a moment. "Chico-san… And then Erasa." He looked over his notes. "What do they all have in common…?" He asked himself more than the others.

"They're all girls?" Gohan piped up in uncertainty.

Sharpner looked at him and nodded.

Videl's hand balled into a fist. "That bastard! How dare he target females! He's gotta be some sexist perv!" She growled.

"Also, what about this…? Sharpner asked Gohan as he moved beside him and placed the notebook in front of him. "The second and third victims all had a connection to the first."

"I did?" Erasa asked in confusion.

Gohan nodded. "That's right; Erasa and Chico-san were connected to Razio in some way."

Erasa tilted her head slightly. "Does that mean girls connected to Miss Racorde in some way are targeted?"

Sharpner looked up at her and nodded. "I think that's a safe assumption for now." He affirmed. "But… If someone else gets taken, there's another angle we can curve off of too."

"You think they'll be on the Midnight Channel, don't you?" Videl asked.

"That's right." Sharpner said. "So we keep an eye on the channel from now on. If something shows up, we know what to do." He took a breath and hung his head. "I can't believe a TV is our best way of finding a killer. We don't know why it happens either, but we'll have to rely on it for the time being."

"The next time it rains…" Erasa said softly.

"We can do this." Videl cheered with a smile.

Sharpner looked at Videl's food. "Uh… You gonna eat that or did I waste my money again on you?"

Videl looked down to see she had been playing with her food the whole time. "Oops…" She grinned before the three began consuming their Julays brand purchases. "Mmh…" Videl continued as she ate. "So good… Thank you, Sharpner."

"Oh yeah…" Sharpner mouthed off as he sat down in a slump. "Treat the guy nice after he buys you food but once the food's gone; its Tsundere mode again."

Her foot came down on his under the table, causing him to stifle a pained scream. "I am not a Tsundere!" She yelled at him. "Jerk!"

"I take it back…" Sharpner informed the others in a pained voice. "It doesn't matter if she has food or not…"

As they walked home together, Sharpner walking with a slight limp, the team continued their discussion on the case.

"So, back on topic…" Videl continued. "I wonder what type of person the culprit is."

"If you focus on just the announcer's case…" Sharpner began. "It seems like a revenge case. What if it was the lover's wife?"

Videl shook her head. "Not likely, when I was around the police station, I heard the police say she had a solid alibi. And that she was already separated from her husband."

"Okay, what about the next case?" Erasa asked. "Chico-san, she found the announcer's body. Assuming the same person targeted them both, why go after her?"

"Did they know each other?" Gohan asked Sharpner.

The teen thought for a while before responding. "Nope, if she did, Chico-san never said anything about her." He paused. "Maybe it was to keep her quiet? She could have seen something the cops missed at the scene of the crime."

"But the killer just threw the announcer into a TV." Videl reminded him. "Something like that wouldn't leave evidence for the police, let alone a school student, to find."

Sharpner put his hands in his pockets and hung his head.

"And here I thought the city would have a bit of a lower crime rate." A small voice spoke up ahead of them.

The four looked to see Chiaotzu walking down the street.

"Isn't he that detective?" Sharpner whispered to Gohan.

Chiaotzu looked up to see them, his eyes resting on Gohan. "Oh, hey, you were at Yamcha-san's house." He pointed out. "I'm glad I ran into you, Yamcha-san said he'd be coming home earlier tonight. Could you pass that onto Chiyori-chan?"

He looked at the others as Gohan nodded. "Hey, you his friends? I'm Chiaotzu, Yamcha-san's friend's pup- I mean partner." He introduced himself.

"Are ya this busy every day?" Sharpner asked dryly.

Chiaotzu recoiled slightly from his tone. "Oh, uh… T- The public seems to be getting a charge out of the cases, but we can't sit by twiddling our thumbs."

"Sorry to butt in…" Videl said with an irritated look to Sharpner before turning to Chiaotzu. "But could it be that the killer targeted Chico-san to keep her quiet?"

Chiaotzu was taken aback. "Y- You really like to get down to business, huh?" He asked nervously before recovering himself. "W- We're also thinking of that too, she was killed right after the other body was found. If the killer was trying to silence her, there might have been something there that only she saw or understood. This could mean that the culprit could be someone close to Miss Lee. Nothing like that points to Miss Racorde, so…" His eyes lit up. "Oh! I think I just thought of something!"

"Hey, Chiaotzu, you get those things yet?" A voice called behind the detective.

Chiaotzu turned to see Puar running up behind him, two bags of food in each arm. "Oh…" Puar noticed the gang. "You tell 'em about Yamcha-san?" He asked.

Chiaotzu nodded as he took two bags from his friend. "Yeah and…" He trailed off.

Puar paused and sighed. "I won't tell on you, but you really shouldn't tell others about the case unless you want our bosses to hand us our asses."

Chiaotzu nodded and turned the others. "Sorry, but I have to go."

"Yeah, you guys should relax; the police are on the job!" Puar reassured them. Without another word, he and Chiaotzu walked past the gang and into the night.

"Yeah…" Sharpner murmured. "Because those two surely inspire confidence when we think of the cops."

"Let's go into the TV tomorrow." Videl advised. "We might as well get Erasa accustomed to the place if we need to go in again.

The other three nodded in agreement and split up for the night.

The next day, Sharpner caught Erasa in his arms as she fell onto the Midnight Studio.

"She can land by herself, you know." Videl scoffed behind him as she let go of Gohan for him to stand on his feet, dusting himself off as he hid his blush.

"Well, I prefer she doesn't break her ass like I did." He replied protectively. His hand closed around her chest protectively.

Just then, Erasa blushed vividly before her hand came up to strike Sharpner across his face, causing him to drop her to her feet.

"What the hell!?" He exclaimed in pain.

"W- Watch where you put your hands!" Erasa stammered, red-faced and covering her chest with her arms.

Erasa turned as Lime walked up behind them while Sharpner walked up behind her, massaging his cheek as the others joined them.

"Pervert." Videl whispered through her teeth to Sharpner.

"It was an accident!" He growled back.

"Are you feeling any better, Erasa-chan?" Lime asked behind her. "I did what you said. I was a good bear."

"Oh, I see." Erasa said with a warm smile. "Such a good boy!"

A shade of red appeared under the bear's big round eyes as it beamed up at her.

"She never calls me a good boy…" Sharpner huffed under his breath as he crossed his arms.

Gohan walked up beside Erasa. "Lime's part of the reason we want to find the culprit." He informed her.

Erasa looked to him and nodded before turning back to Lime. "I'm part of the group now too. So let's work together, okay?"

Lime smiled and bowed its body to nod. "I had a feeling you'd be back so I made you these." It extracted a pair of glasses and handed them to Erasa.

"Oh, so these are what the others were wearing…" The girl turned to the others as she placed the glasses with green light emitting from the LEDs screens of consoles and tablets along the frame and green-tinted anti-blue light lenses over her mask. "How do I look?" She asked, posing with her arms holding her head delicately, her body turned slightly to her left while she gazed at the three with her right leg bent further than her left.

"You look good." Gohan commented.

"Way to rock them, Erasa." Videl cheered with a wink.

Sharpner simply held up a sign with a ten written on it, unable to close his mouth.

"Where did you get that?!" Videl snapped as she swatted it away from his hands.

A small smile crept on Erasa's lips as she looked around. "You're right, it's like the fog doesn't exist."

"Uh, Lime?" Videl began. "Where do you get all these glasses from?"

Lime raised its stubby arms in a shrug. "I have a lot of free time on my paws."

"And you don't need a pair?" Gohan asked.

Lime shook its body. "Nope, I can see through the fog easily because I grew up here." It paused and spoke softly. "At least… I think I did."

"Wait… How do you make them if you don't have fingers?" Sharpner asked.

"Great question!" Lime replied before humming to itself, rocking on the balls of its feet.

Sharpner moved towards the bear as it rocked back before he poked Lime's head, tipping it over.

"H-Hey!" Lime protested as it rolled around helplessly.

"Maybe next time you'll actually answer my questions." Sharpner chastised it.

"You have to be more delicate, Sharpner." Erasa said as she pulled Lime to its feet before noticing a pair of glasses lying on the ground. "Hey, Lime, you dropped something." She knelt down and picked them up, switching them with hers to try them on.

"Oh, those are a pair I screwed up while working on yours." Lime warned her as the others gawked at her.

She wore velvet blue framed glasses with modified lenses showing a pair of bulging eyes with an attachment of a long pointed nose between them.

"Uh… Erasa?" Videl asked hesitantly.

She struck a pose, turning her head slightly while her hands crossed over her chest with her palms pointing skyward. "How do I look? Stylish enough for you?" She teased.

"Looks natural on you." Sharpner joked with a grin.

"Don't encourage her!" Videl spat before Erasa giggled slightly.

"Here, Delly, your turn!" Erasa announced as she took them off and replaced Videl's glasses with her gag ones.

"H- Hey!" Videl protested before Erasa succeeded in her mission.

Erasa stepped back as she placed her own glasses on again as the three observed the pigtailed teen, now wearing the gag glasses.

"Snrk!" Came from Erasa as she placed her hand over her mouth before giggling profusely, pausing to take a sharp breath every now and then.

"How'd it come to this?" Videl asked in defeat.

"Erasa?" Gohan asked before turning to Sharpner, who had taken a small intake of breath from hearing her as a blush formed under his brown eyes. "Sharpner? Hello?" He waved his hand in front of the blonde's face to no reaction. "I think her laugh paralyzed him."

Videl sighed as she walked over and elbowed Sharpner in the stomach with enough force to wake him from his trance. "There goes one of Erasa's laughing fits again. I didn't think she'd do it around someone other than me." Videl informed Gohan. "These stupid glasses are useless; I can't see a damn thing out of them! And what the hell is this nose for!" Videl took them off and threw them to the ground.

"Hey!" Lime cried out as it waddled over and bent down to pick them up. "You see? This is what happens when I'm left all alone and I have to do things to keep myself from getting bored!"

The four looked to Erasa who continued her fit.

"I'm glad she's in high spirits again." Sharpner noted fondly.

"The look on her face!" Erasa squealed. "I can't stop laugh… Oh, my stomach…" She continued laughing.

"We have to stop her before she collapses or makes Sharpner weird again." Videl said before adding. "…Well, weirder."

"Hey! Why am I the butt of the jokes all the time now?!" Sharpner retorted.

After the team settled Erasa down, Gohan spoke to Lime. "Hey, is it okay if you explain to the girls how the shadow things work? Videl and Erasa didn't really get a full explanation on them yet."

Lime bowed its body. "Leave it to me, Sensei!" It exclaimed before stomping its foot on the ground as a white screen and projector appeared on the studio floor.

"Alright! Listen up you four." Lime began as it held a stick in its paw and a scholar hat on its head.

"Where did you even get t-" Sharpner began before Lime slapped the stick on the projector.

"Quiet down in front!" It demanded before starting the slideshow.

A slide of a regular shadow appeared as Lime clicked a remote with its paw. "Shadows are born from the human heart and consciousness; they are manifestations of repressed human emotion and thoughts that exist in every-beary. Your mother, cousin, even grandma harbors deep resentment and self-loathing. Most shadows are embodiments of useless thoughts; I didn't catch any tuna today. Is my tongue too big? I can't rub my back on this tree, some beary already took the good bark."

"Then there are…" Teddie clicked the remote to show Shadow Sharpner on the screen. "The Bare Shadows."

"Hey!" Sharpner exclaimed. "Who the hell said you could use photos of me? How did you even get them?"

"That's Sharpner's shadow?" Videl asked dreamily.

"Whatta hunk!" Erasa breathed.

Sharpner was now more preoccupied looking at the girls with concern then to press more questions.

Lime continued until it finished the slideshow. "These shadows directly reflect the buried feelings of their counterparts." The presentation ended. "You see, girls?" It asked.

Videl shook herself from her imagination along with Erasa. "Wait what?" They asked in unison.

Lime's paws suddenly sagged as its eyes gave a dead expression. "They're negative Sharpner and Gohan." It explained hollowly.

"NEGA-SHARPNER?! WE HAVE TO BE ON OUR GUARD!" Erasa exclaimed.

"DUDE! NEGA-GOHAN!" Videl screamed.

"That's how you understand!?" The other three asked in unison.

Back home, Gohan sat with Yamcha and Chiyori.

"Hmm…" Yamcha spoke as he looked through his newspaper. "It looks like I have the fourth and fifth off next month."

The two looked at him in confusion before Chiyori's eyes lit up. "Really?!" She asked excitedly before her tone became sullen. "…Really?"

Yamcha folded his paper and smiled at the youngest. "What? You don't believe me?" He asked with a grin.

Chiyori looked down at the small oak table. "You're always working." She pouted.

"Well, wouldn't you like to go somewhere other than Julays?" Yamcha asked. "We could always head outside the city if you want."

Chiyori looked at him. "Really?" She asked with a glimmer in her dark eyes. "We can go on a real trip?"

Yamcha nodded. "A trip somewhere less crowded sounds good." He affirmed.

"Yay!" Chiyori squealed. "We're going on a trip!"

"In your favorite rocket ship?" Gohan teased.

Chiyori's expression became stern as she glared at Gohan. "No!" She hissed simply.

Gohan's grin vanished as he shrunk.

"Alright." Yamcha intervened. "We'll have to think of somewhere to go first."

Gohan made a mental note to call Sharpner again for instructions on boxed lunches.

Several days later, Erasa caught up to Gohan as he entered the school gates while rain pelted down on their umbrellas.

"Good morning." She said with a smile. "It's raining, but it's not going to last past nightfall." She paused and looked down at her feet. "When I appeared on the Midnight Channel, you and the others must have…" Her voice trailed off before she shook her head and looked up. "Oh, I didn't mean to bring the mood down." She apologized. "Golden week starts soon… Do you have any plans?"

"A family outing." Gohan confided.

"Oh, I see… That must be tough." Erasa replied in surprise. "At least it's forecast to have better skies than today at least. It'd be nice if it could be peaceful, but the mystery hasn't been solved yet."

"We should meet up after class today." Gohan advised. "Sharpner said there's something he wants to talk about."

Erasa nodded. "I'll see you at Julays then."

In class, Moroono addressed the class. "Alright, I've been hearing a lotta talk from you about Golden Week! But don't forget that you are students first and foremost. Your duty is to study! If I find out any of you punks are fooling around, you don't know what I'd do to you. Don't misunderstand what freedom means! It doesn't mean you can live with no responsibility."

Sharpner bundled his jacket up on the table and put on his headphones. "Wake me when he's done." Sharpner asked the group as he closed his eyes.

"Get me a marker." Videl pleaded quietly with Erasa.

"I said no, Delly." Erasa responded diligently.

"You're no fun." Videl huffed and crossed her arms.

After school, Sharpner sat at the food court with the others, a notebook open in front of him. "Alright guys, we need to focus!" Sharpner said encouragingly as he looked up at them. "For this plan to work we need to be in perfect sync with each other." He began scribbling on the page. "Erasa, I leave healing and recovery to you." He announced.

Erasa nodded in affirmation.

"Gohan, you're team leader on this one, I'm relying on you to call the shots here. When you know what to do, lemme know with a direct command."

"Got it!" Gohan replied excitedly, feeling pumped for the mission.

"What are you guys freaking out about?" Videl asked as she drank from her soda bottle.

"Videl…" Sharpner spoke in a harrowing hollow voice dripping with fear. "Soon we face the greatest challenge we face to date, a true test of our strength, endurance and knowledge."

"It's just midterms…" Videl pointed out.

"Exactly!" Sharpner confirmed.

"Well, could we at least have study partners?" Videl asked.

"Um… Sure, I guess." Gohan said.

Erasa's hand shot up. "I call dibs on Sharpie!"

"Wait what?" Sharpner asked, taken aback.

That night, Gohan and Chiyori sat alone on the couch. Gohan sat reading over his study notes while Chiyori read over her Sentai manga.

"Mister Yamcha's late again." She sighed behind her pages.

Just then, the family phone rang and Chiyori hopped off the couch before running up to it and placing it to her ear. "Hello, Yamcha residence." She spoke through the receiver before her eyes widened. "Mister Yamcha!" She said excitedly. "Yeah! I'm okay, Gohan is t-"

Gohan looked up from his notes to see Chiyori's face lose its glow and her smile slowly disappear. "Yeah… Yeah, okay." She said sullenly as she walked over to Gohan. "He said to give this to you." She handed him the phone before turning and running to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"Hello?" Gohan said as he put the phone to his ear.

"Hey." Yamcha spoke in a tired voice. "Listen, I can't take those days off for Golden Week. I'm sorry, we just can't let one of these cases slip. I won't be home until late tonight, so lock up for me before sleep, would you?"

Gohan held in his sigh. "Yeah, sure." He replied.

A tinge of regret hung over Yamcha's voice. "Um… How's Chiyori holding up? Would you mind comforting her for me?" Gohan did not reply to his question. "…Thanks. I'll… see you soon." Yamcha finished sadly.

Gohan hung up and placed the phone back in its holder. "First we can go to Julays, and then we can go out of the city, now we're stuck here…" He sighed. "I was looking forward to trying out making boxed lunches too." His head turned to look at where Chiyori disappeared.

The next day, Gohan approached Chiyori, who sat watching her program, as she glanced at him with hurt eyes. "Oh… Good morning." She greeted him with a forced smile.

Just then, the doorbell rang out and Gohan turned to the front door.

"Yamcha's not here, is he?" Gohan asked over his shoulder.

"Nuh uh." Chiyori responded with a frightened voice.

"Stay here." Gohan warned her before approaching the door and opening it.

"Heyo!" Videl greeted him with a wave of her hand.

"How did you…?" He asked, taken aback by her sudden appearance.

"Know that you live here?" Videl finished for him. "Hello? Connections to the cops? I knew you were staying with Yamcha-kun so I just looked his address up in the registry."

"Oh…" Gohan nodded with a breath escaping him. "Right."

"So… You free today?" Videl asked casually. "If you are, wanna hang with us? Erasa and Sharpner thought it'd be nice to study together again."

Gohan let out a disappointed sigh. "Sorry, but I can't today…" He informed her.

"Huh?" Videl asked before lowering her gaze to his leg to see Chiyori peeking out behind it. "Oh." Videl said in surprise before giving a pleasant smile. "Hey, you must be Chiyori-chan."

Chiyori's eyes widened and she retreated behind Gohan's leg.

"Aw, it's okay, don't be like that." Videl said cheerily. "What do ya say? Wanna join us?"

Chiyori stumbled over her soft words. "W- Well… I…" She looked to Gohan for guidance.

He smiled. "It's your choice, but I'm sure it'll be fun." He reassured her.

"Y- You're sure it's okay?" Chiyori asked.

Videl gave a confident nod. "Of course, you'll have fun and we'll even buy you lunch too."

Chiyori thought on the idea before smiling and nodding.

"Is uh… Is she okay?" Sharpner asked the four at the Julays food stand as he looked at Chiyori beaming at every little thing she saw.

"Leave her be, Sharpner." Videl said as she watched him cook. "Is my salad done yet?"

"Keep your skirt on." He retorted. "Or I mean… you don't have to." He teased with a grin.

"What was that!?" Videl growled as she placed her hands on the counter, ready to jump in.

"Nothing!" Sharpner said hastily as he put his head down to his work.

Five minutes later, a freshly well cooked steak sat in front of Chiyori as Sharpner sat down between Erasa and Videl at their table.

"One steak served up hot." Sharpner exclaimed to the young girl.

"Yay!" Chiyori cheered as she took in its scent. "Mhh, it smells delicious."

"Not to brag but…" Sharpner rubbed his nails to shine them on his shirt before blowing on them. "I pride myself on my cooking skills."

"What skills?" Videl murmured.

"I'm sorry; I didn't realize you hated my cooking so much that you didn't want that salad." Sharpner reached towards the plate.

Suddenly a knife embedded itself into the wooden table. "You wanna rethink that strategy?" Videl asked coldly.

Sharpner immediately withdrew his hand and placed them on his lap. "No Ma'am, I mean, yes Ma'am." He said quickly.

Chiyori giggled. "You're friends are funny." She told Gohan. "I like Mister Blonde a lot." She beamed.

Sharpner looked up at her and smiled. "Thank you, Chiyori-chan."

Chiyori took her knife and fork into her hands and began elegantly cutting into the meat.

"You might need to chew on it a little, Chiyori-chan." Erasa warned her. "They don't have the best quality steak here."

Sharpner looked appalled. "Oh, come on, I do my best with what I have." He defended himself.

Erasa giggled. "Oh, Sharpie, I wasn't talking about your cooking, just the brand."

Sharpner crossed his arms. "I'll try taking some solace in that."

"Are you done with work now?" Gohan asked his friend.

Sharpner shook his head. "Nah, just taking my break to hang with you guys." He informed him as he rested his head on his hand. "But, dude, what're you doing spending your free time here? I bet Chiyori-chan would much prefer somewhere else."

Chiyori looked up from her steak which was now a quarter gone as she swallowed. "Huh? What do you mean? I love Julays!" She said as a bright happy smile spread across her face.

The three adjacent from Chiyori immediately blushed at her cute expression.

Just then, the speaker rang in a chime and Chiyori exclaimed happily as the Julays jingle sounded. "Everyday's great at your Julays!" She sang along.

Gohan smiled and looked back at the others to see them climbing back into their seats after collapsing back.

"Dude! How the hell do you survive living with a girl that cute?" Sharpner asked breathlessly.

"It was like she knocked us out with her voice." Videl said as she held her head.

"She's cute alright." Erasa shook her head to clear it. "But there's no possible way she's cuter than me."

Chiyori, having not seen the commotion, returned to eating her steak and humming the tune, a bright smile present.

A dark shadow hung over Erasa's forehead, obscuring her eyes. 'Damn you and your cuteness.' She thought to herself before admitting she could not stay mad at a face that pure.

"We were supposed to go on a picnic with Mister Yamcha on Golden Week." Chiyori informed them. "But Mister Yamcha has to work then."

"A picnic?" Erasa asked while the others held their heads in their hands and looked adoringly at Chiyori. "You were going to make a picnic?"

Chiyori shook her head and turned to Gohan.

The three looked to Gohan who looked back at them.

"So you were going to make a picnic for her, Gohan?" Erasa asked.

"Oh so that's what you called me for." Sharpner pointed out. "I can still teach you if you want."

"Aw, that's cool that you were looking after your little sister, Big Bro." Videl teased him with a grin.

Chiyori looked up at Videl as she took her mouth from her juice box and looked to Gohan. "Big… Bro…?" She asked aloud to her brother.

Gohan was taken aback by Chiyori's words, having never heard her call him that.

"Seriously though, partner." Sharpner addressed Gohan. "I think the fact that you contacted me to learn that stuff is kinda impressive if it was for Chiyori-chan. It means that you've already got a drive to have better cooking skills than Videl… This isn't saying much though." He gave a hearty laugh as Videl shot him a dirty look.

"The hell makes you think I dunno how to cook, you stupid big shot!?" Videl spat venomously at him.

"So you can cook?" Erasa asked her.

Videl immediately froze.

"You can cook?" Gohan questioned enthusiastically. "You didn't tell me that, Videl."

Videl gritted her teeth as she pointed at Sharpner. "Fine! It's a cook-off between you and me! We'll see who the better cook is!"

Sharpner gave a confident grin which made Videl's expression drop as her heart rate quickened slightly. "You're on!" Sharpner agreed.

"Um, are you sure that's a good idea, Videl?" Erasa asked. "He can even make Julays food taste good."

"We'll need an impartial person to be our judge of justice!" Sharpner continued, turning his head slightly in Gohan's direction. "That's where you come in, Chiyo-chan."

Chiyori blinked as she looked up from her juice box. "Huh?" She asked in confusion.

"Does… Does that mean I have to compete to?" Erasa asked under her breath.

"I'm pretty good though." Sharpner boasted. "I might even whip up something better than your old man's cooking." He grinned.

Yumi Kawamura's _Memories of You_ began playing softly from the nearby radio. Gohan froze at Sharpner's last words before looking at Chiyori as a silence fell over the table only to be cut by the little girl's voice. "I don't have a dad… He died seven years ago."

Sharpner's grin immediately dropped from his face. "Oh… I'm sorry, Chiyo-chan. I didn't know."

Chiyori's bright glistening eyes looked at him as she smiled. "Why? I do just fine." She said happily. "I don't have my dad but I still have my mommy around. I go to school, I cook, and I clean and…" Her head tilted down as a blush formed on her cheeks. "And I have a big brother and new friends to come play with me now."

Gohan stirred slightly as he felt his heart swell at being given that title by her.

"Plus, I even got to come to Julays today and one of my new friends works here." Chiyori exclaimed.

Sharpner looked from her to Gohan and back again. "Gohan… You didn't tell her… Did you?" He asked.

Chiyori looked at her brother. "Big Bro?" She asked in confusion.

Sharpner chuckled. "You're Big Bro now works part time here because of me." He explained.

"Really?!" Chiyori asked in both surprise and excitement.

Gohan smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I wanted to surprise you, I just didn't know how or when." He explained.

Chiyori wrapped her arms around Gohan. "You're the best Big Bro ever!" She exclaimed.

"Hey, Chiyo-chan, don't be afraid to ever hang out with us, okay?" Sharpner said with a smile. "We'd love to have you around more."

"We'll play with you anytime, Chiyori-chan." Videl promised tenderly.

"I agree; we should hang out with you more often." Erasa said with a pleasant smile.

Sharpner stood up. "Come on, Chiyo-chan; let's go get you a drink. Anything you want, my treat."

Chiyori's eyes lit up to a sparkle. "Can I get coffee? Mister Yamcha always drinks it and I wanna try too."

Sharpner looked to Gohan, who shrugged. "There's a first time for everything." Gohan said as Sharpner took Chiyori's small hand in his and walked off with her skipping beside him.

"She's a strong girl." Videl pointed out before laughing. "She makes me feel like the little kid here." She stood up. "I should get something for Chiyori-chan too, something from the department store maybe."

"Here, lemme go with you." Erasa offered before standing up and following Videl as Chiyori ran back to Gohan.

"Do you want something too?" She asked happily with a carefree smile.

Gohan nodded and let Chiyori hold his hand as she led him to Sharpner.

At the touch of her hand, Gohan felt a small bond forming between him and his sister.

Later that night, Yamcha returned home.

Chiyori stood up and ran to him. "Welcome back!" She said brightly.

Yamcha led her back to Gohan. "Chiyori… I'm sorry for breaking my promise about Golden Week."

Chiyori shook her head as she sat down and gave a big grin. "Oh, its okay, Big Bro took me out to play with his friends today, it was really fun."

Yamcha looked to Gohan. "I see… Thank you." He acknowledged with a smile.

Chiyori's eyes glanced down at the bag Yamcha held and her eyes glistened. "That's a Julays bag!" She exclaimed excitedly. "What's in it?"

Yamcha laughed lightly. "Well, since I couldn't make the picnic. I thought I'd get you something to make up for it." He reached in and took a folded shirt from the bag before letting it fall open, revealing a print of the protagonist of her favorite show on the Chiyori sized shirt.

Her gasp was quick as she put her hand to her mouth. "I love it!" She said as she accepted it from Yamcha and punched the air several times, exclaiming; "Dora! Dora! Dora! Dora!"

"I got you something too…" Yamcha pulled out some clothes for Gohan and handed it to him. "Though… Make sure you only wear them in specific places."

Gohan unfurled a pair of pitch black swimming trunks. "Oh, wow, thanks." Gohan accepted his gift with a smile.

Yamcha smiled. "It's no problem, I thought you could use one soon what with summer coming up." He stood up and walked to the kitchen. "Now, come on, let's eat before bedtime."

Gohan, Yamcha and Chiyori spent a pleasant evening together.


	10. Important Update

**Important Update**

As you guys may have noticed, it has been quite some time since I posted my last chapter, I deeply apologize for the wait for those who wish to read it.

The reason why it has been some time is that, in September, I started a college course and that is taking most of my time.

However, when I can I will be writing more for this. I'm not abandoning this project because I want to introduce more characters to you, both new and old.

Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy the rest of the project once I get to it.


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